Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food - Issue 155

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pizzapasta and Italian food magazine

Issue 155 April 2013 www.papa.org.uk

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ap The One The One Stop Stop Shop Shop for ffor aallll your your Pizza Pizzza za Sundries Sundries www.alphin.co.uk ww w.alphin.co.uk Alphin Al phin Pa Pans ns Ltd. T: 01457 01457 872486 872486

pizzapasta AND ITALIAN FOOD

Editor telephone e-mail

Clare Benfield 01291 636336 clare@jandmgroup.co.uk

Advertising telephone e-mail

Andrew Emery 01291 636334 andrew@jandmgroup.co.uk

Production telephone e-mail

Jayson Berry 01291 636344 jayson@jandmgroup.co.uk

Subscriptions telephone e-mail

Tony Lorimer 01291 636333 tony@papa.org.uk

J & M Group, Association House, 18c Moor Street, Chepstow, NP16 5DB. Opinions expressed in Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food magazine are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of J&M Group, Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food magazine or The Pizza & Pasta Association. No responsibility is accepted for the opinions of contributors. Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food is published by J&M group Ltd. and supports The Pizza, Pasta & Italian Food Association. It is circulated to managers, executives, buyers, retailers and traders in the pizza and pasta business. © J&M Group Ltd. 2012

Welcome Having now confirmed the sponsors and ingredients for this year’s Pizza Chef of the Year competition, we can announce the dates and venues (to find out how to enter, turn to page 16 for more details).

In this issue, we get technical, and provide a flavour of just some of the many software products that are out there to help you run your business more effectively. We also profile two new-look Italian-themed outlets that are recent newcomers to London, and report on Jacques Borel’s widely supported campaign that aims to lower the VAT rate that’s currently applicable to the hospitality sector, and boost muchneeded trade in the process.

CLARE BENFIELD EDITOR clare@jandmgroup.co.uk

Contents NEWS

42 Sustainable packaging – the continuing trend for environmentally-friendly options.

4 Papa John’s serves up a tempting franchise offer.

REVIEWS

5 Tony Macera triumphs at UK round of Pizza World Championship.

28 UK Final of World Pizza Championship 2013.

6 Pizza Hut celebrates 40th birthday with Edge re-launch.

8 Jobs under threat after Saputo confirm closure.

PAPA 16 Pizza Chef of the Year 2013.

FEATURES 18 Mighty meats – the must-have pizza ingredient that’s been in the spotlight.

30 We have the technology – helpful software applications for caterers.

ARTICLES 40 Time for a cut? – French hospitality legend, Jacques Borel, is on a mission to cut VAT in the UK.

PROFILES 24 Brickoven Milano – the pizza concept from Milan that’s now in London.

38 Cucina Asellina – the One Group’s Cucina Asellina restaurant.

46 Pizza My World – Jestic’s Steve Loughton.

REGULARS 13 New products.

48 Index of PAPA registered suppliers.

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news Typical Italian Products Show is coming to London An international fair showcasing the best in Italian food and drink – called Typical Italian Products – will be coming to London on Tuesday 16 April 2013 as part of its global road show.

Aimed at restaurateurs, delicatessens, food and wine importers, agents and distributors, and the food and drink media looking for new products, the fair gathers a number of exhibitors keen to show quality food and drink, artisanal produce, some new to the UK, and the keen price point offered during this introductory tour.

Focusing mainly on the Campania and Molise regions, the exhibitors will include producers of artisanal dry patisserie so typical of the area, such as soft nougat, as well as dry savoury snacks, extra virgin olive oil, naturally preserved vegetables, and top quality wines.

Many of these products are new to the UK, say the show’s organisers, and show the skilful and inventive use made of the best these regions have to offer. One of the exhibitors - Consorzio Oro Giallo - will show how they utilise wild fennel seeds and locally produced extra virgin olive oil to make Taralli (a savoury snack shaped by hand into a small ring or oval and briefly boiled or baked to give them a unique and interesting texture). Their Brutti ma Buoni (ugly but very tasty) is a type of dry patisserie, hand-shaped as it comes, hence its name, with a delicious combination of almonds, nuts, sugar, eggs and vanilla.

Dolciaria Labbate Mazziotta will show a range of coffee Amaretti (wafers filled with honey, walnuts and liqueur) as well as their Mostaccioli, based on quince jam, candid orange peels and sour black cherry.

The multi-award winning extra virgin olive oil from San Comaio will be tasted with an expert, as will the company’s many tasty condiments. Of note will be the preserved vegetables from the Ciommiento artisanal company, which include baby broccoli in garlic, wine vinegar, hot pepper and olive oil, the special Aubergine Violet Naples Variety, Pressed Olives, Baby Artichokes in Parsley and much more.

One of several wine producers attending will be the family-owned Mustilli winery, whose range has won acclaims at several international wine fairs, with this being their first London showing.

The London leg of this fair is being held at the Melia White House Hotel (Regent’s Park, London) between 13 and 18.00 hours (to register, and for more information, contact Luisa Vogliolo-Welch at Euposia Wine Events on 0207 387 0828).

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Papa John’s serves up a tempting franchise offer Papa John’s has announced several new franchise opportunities in the South East.

Premises which have now been secured and are awaiting shop fit-out include Fareham, Reading and Eastleigh and are available to franchisees looking to run their own Papa John’s pizza store.

“We are focused on growing the number of franchised Papa John’s outlets throughout the UK,” confirms Anthony Round, Papa John’s new business development manager.

“These new opportunities represent an exciting chance for individuals to invest in a rapidly growing business which is also the market leader in its field.

“Each store location has been carefully selected to attract the optimal customer base. This process takes time, however, outlets in Fareham, Reading and Eastleigh have already been acquired and, following the fit-out process, they are ready for an entrepreneurial business person to take over.

Further information about Papa John’s latest franchise opportunities can be found at www.papajohns.co.uk/franchise.

“In addition, Papa John’s is currently running an incentive scheme to help new franchisees set up. For a limited period, deals are available on fees and equipment for new stores open during 2013, which really makes Papa John’s a tempting offer for potential franchisees!”

New dedicated number for consumer feedback What is claimed to be the world’s very first telephone number that connects consumers to brands has launched – 66099 – and whatever the feedback, good or bad, consumers can now get on their soap box and rant or rave about it in realtime on their mobile phone by simply calling, texting or sending an MMS to 66099, say its creators Rapide (www.rantandrave.co.uk).

In return, outlets can now gain valuable insight into where they are going right – and where they may be going wrong.

The concept is free to brands, providing each and every retailer with the chance to view all of their customers’ rants and raves in a bespoke dashboard that they can log into at any point and see how they’re being perceived, say Rapide. The system uses natural language processing and text analytics to understand each comment and highlight if they’re positive or negative.

Executives will be able to view their dashboard and quickly and easily see how and why they are going right – or wrong – and Rapide is also offering businesses the opportunity to upgrade to their Enterprise package which helps companies look more closely at feedback and act upon it.

Amongst a wealth of add-ons, the Enterprise dashboard is uniquely tailored for their type of business and each company will receive access to state-ofthe-art SWOT analysis tools that enable

companies to react quickly to comments, spot areas in need of improvement and rescue unhappy customers before they go to their competitors. The technology is even sophisticated enough to understand customers’ expectations about how they would like their feedback to be responded to. The telephone number free to call from a mobile, and texting or sending an MMS is standard network rate, often included in a person’s phone bundle.

Mike McMaster, head of client services at Rapide, the company behind Rant & Rave (66099) said:“Businesses want to know what their customers think about them. Staff often receive verbal compliments or complaints or many businesses produce surveys which they ask customers to fill in – but these don’t provide enough feedback that they can actually act upon. By providing consumers with a free telephone number for them to call they can rant or rave about a brand as much as they like; they are not restricted to a space in a box and they don’t have to log on to a website and fill out a complaints form.”

The award-winning technology company can already list half of the FTSE as their clients, including Vodafone, Barclays, Manchester United, Premier Inn and the National Grid (to view the live feed of comments visit www.66099.co.uk or www.rantandrave.co.uk).

April 2013

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news

Tony Macera triumphs at UK round of Pizza World Championship The UK final of the Pizza World Championship took place on the final day of the recent IFE exhibition with Tony Macera and his boss, Fabrizio Perella, of Divito’s in Glasgow, Scotland taking first and second place respectively!

Twenty competitors had signed up to compete, but in the event 13 UK-based pizza chefs took part in a close and hardfought competition that will now see the winner go on to compete in the World Finals to be held in Parma, Italy (15 to 17 April 2013).

With the judging process mainly focused on the taste of the pizza itself, according to Salvo’s sales director, Domenico Citro, on the panel of judges at the event, the pressure was on for all the competitors to come up with something that not only featured a tasty and authentic base, but a tasty combination of toppings as well. Tony Macera – who has now achieved considerable success in pizza competitions at home and abroad, including PAPA’s annual Pizza Chef of the Year contest – created a winning pizza called Montanara Ciociora that featured

Tony Macera (right) with former pizza champion and now a pizza instructor, Graziano Bertuzzo (left).

chick pea paste, a ‘secret ingredient’ and fennel flavoured salami amongst other things.

“Taking part in these

competitions is not just about winning,” said Tony Macera, who, in a previous year, had missed out on being able to compete in

the final of this Italian organised competition due to flights being cancelled in the wake of the volcanic ash scare. As well as winning the UK round, he also says that he managed to pick a few tips from Italy’s legendary Graziano Bertuzzo (such as when it was advantageous to apply a different speed to the mixing of the pizza dough in a dough mixer).

Graziano Bertuzzo, a former multiple world pizza champion himself, as well as a pizza acrobat, has now taken on a key training and coaching role at the Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli, an environment in which he is able to share his considerable knowledge, having been involved in the world of pizza since he was a youngster. The important thing, he believes, when it comes to making and serving good pizza is to take time to learn all there is to know about it, the various ingredients and their attributes and how they inter-act, so as to develop a full understanding and appreciation of its nature (turn to page 28 for a full list of the winners and competitors).

Galbani mark April as the month to ‘Make it Italian’ Galbani® say that they will be supporting Italian restaurants and pizzerias across the UK by urging diners to visit outlets serving up the very best Italian cuisine.

Marking the month of April with a toptable takeover, diners booking through toptable will be invited to review and rate restaurants that create authentic, quality Italian food.

Consumer promotions and competitions will also help to drive even more Italian food lovers to the toptable site to seek out the very best offerings across the UK. Restaurants can capitalise on Italian Month to attract diners by getting themselves featured as a Recommended Restaurant,

www.papa.org.uk

Galbani will be helping to promote typically Italian dishes during April, such as Caprese (for further information visit www.lactalisoutofhome.co.uk or www.toptable.co.uk).

based on the reviews and ratings throughout the month from the diners themselves.

With authentic flavours and a heritage dating back to 1882, Galbani has become the

number one cheese brand in its native Italy, as well as a leading exporter of Italian cheese. Its range has been specifically developed with the professional chef in mind to meet the

expectations of consumers looking for great-tasting Italian cuisine, say the brand.

Warren MacFarlane, marketing manager of Lactalis McLelland, commented:“Italian food outlets have steadily bourgeoned in the UK; often cited as the most popular food when eating out, Italian fare and flavours can regularly be seen on menus across the whole spectrum of foodservice outlets.

“As an authentic Italian brand, we identify with chefs and pizzaioli who strive to serve real Italian food and we want to make sure that diners in the UK know about them and know where to go to experience the very best that Italian food has to offer.”

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news Pizza Hut celebrates 40th birthday with Edge re-launch To celebrate its 40th anniversary in the UK, Pizza Hut Restaurants UK is re-launching The Edge - a thin pizza with toppings all the way round the edge - in response to consumer demand and customer insight that showed it to be the most popular limited edition product, report the company.

First created in 2000, Pizza Hut Restaurants says that it has reintroduced The Edge pizza after a thirteen-year absence in order to strengthen its product portfolio and offer its customers greater variety, choice and customisation from its menu.

Pizza Hut, which recently secured a £20 million investment from private equity firm Rutland Partners, is hoping to further strengthen its position as the recognised global leader in the

pizza category and also drive footfall in restaurants with the relaunch of the product (The Edge was a best seller in 2000 for the restaurant chain).

To promote the launch of the Edge, Pizza Hut is engaging in a nationwide Facebook, PR and instore marketing campaign.

The new Edge range offers customers an even greater variety of toppings than its previous incarnation and varies from conventional pizzas because it is cut into squares rather than wedges.

The innovative pizza, with sixteen pieces, will feature four distinct types of toppings – The Veggie, The Works, Spicy Chicken and Meaty.

Kath Austin, director of marketing at Pizza Hut Restaurants UK commented: "The Edge Pizza is an iconic item from the brand’s

longstanding history, and we’re delighted to bring it back to celebrate our 40th anniversary.

“As a continuation of our longterm Pizza Hut brand building and awareness, we wanted to demonstrate to our customers that we listen to their feedback and deliver consistently high-quality, crave-able food!”

Pizza Hut UK Ltd currently comprises 330 dine in restaurants across England, Wales and Scotland, serving over three million customers per month and employing more than 10,000 people. Its restaurant business was named Best Pizza Chain for the second year running at the Pizza, Pasta and Italian Food (PAPA) awards in 2011 and was also voted Best Family Restaurant at the Tommy Awards in 2012, for the

Research reveals a rise in prices and provenance statements Restaurants and pubs have raised their menu prices by 6% in the past six months as they seek to pass on increasing food costs to customers and off-set the expense of running special offers such as meal deals and voucher offers, claim researchers, Horizons.

In its latest biannual Menurama research which tracks menu changes across 116 chain hotels, pubs, restaurants and quickservice outlets - reveals that over the past six months average dish prices have seen the biggest rise of any six month period since the survey launched in 2006.

The average price of a dish across all outlets has risen 6.4% year-on-year, from £6.29 to £6.69, with a 5.7% rise in the past six months. The average cost of a starter is now £5.59 (up 5.6% in the past six months), a main course is now £10.62 (up 7%), and a dessert averages at £4.20 (up 4.2%) (rises that are significantly above RPI inflation of of 2.7% as of January 2013).

The Menurama survey also shows an increasing ‘premiumisation’ of dishes on menus, such as All Bar One’s handmade beef and coriander burger, Best Western’s sausage and caramelised red onion bap, Ember Inns’ fish goujonettes, and Frankie & Benny’s salt and pepper scampi.

“Operators are adding twists to old favourites to make them stand out on the menu – they are getting better at describing dishes too, so what was once listed as an ‘apple pie’ is now a ‘Cox’s apple pie’, and nachos are ‘home fried nachos’,” observes Horizons’ director of services, Nicola Knight.

The survey also noted a rise in food provenance statements, such as ‘local sourcing’, ‘free range’,‘home made’ and other quality assurances, and a growth in the number of British dishes listed such as Eton mess and Bakewell tart (Hilton), Start Bay crab risotto (Jamie’s Italian), and

Gloucester Old Spot sausage & mash (Slug & Lettuce).

Describing a menu ingredient as ‘local’ has become one of the top five terms used on menus, joining ‘homemade’,‘free range’,‘organic’ and ‘sustainable’ as the most frequently used terms (the use of food provenance labels has risen nearly 18% since summer 2010, report Horizons).

“Descriptions of food provenance are something Menurama has tracked previously, but operators are now using it far more. This survey was undertaken before the recent horsemeat scandal emerged, but because of renewed concerns over food sourcing, particularly meat, we would expect our next survey to show even more effort being made by operators to reassure consumers with details of provenance,” added Nicola Knight.

Other trends the Menurama survey identified include the continued growth of meals for sharing whether they are smaller, taster platters such as beef sliders (All Bar One), mini burgers (Varsity) or combo desserts (Wagamama), or main courses for several people such as Carluccio’s 23oz dry-aged rump steak to shred and share.

The Mexican influence also continues its march, moving from well-known dishes to less mainstream ones such as duck tostada and huevos rancheros Mexican breakfast (Giraffe) and beef and bean tostada flatbread (Slug & Lettuce).

“Menus are really reflecting the changing nature of how British consumers eat out – the fact dining out is a treat, that it’s a chance to indulge in something more luxurious than you would have at home and for many it’s a chance to share food with friends. But at the same time there is concern about the food they are eating, so provenance and reassurance is increasingly important,” concluded Nicola Knight.

Pizza hut have re-launched their very popular The Edge pizza.

second year running.

The band opened its first restaurant in the UK in 1973. Since then, it has launched the Deep Pan, Stuffed Crust, Cheesy Bites, 500 calorie Pizzetta, and Cookie Dough desert to the UK market, and gives away 9,600 tonnes of free salad each year through its salad bar. It is also a proud supporter of the World Food Programme Charity.

50 years of the Parma crown The 18 April will see the Parma Ham Consortium celebrate its Golden Anniversary in London.

To mark the date the Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma was first founded, a special Parma Ham tasting event will be held at Borough Market, one of the UK’s most renowned food markets with industry guests enjoying a guided tasting of the different ages of Parma Ham matched with complementary Italian wines.

The Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma was established on 18 April 1963 by 23 producers who joined together to safeguard the product, its tradition and Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status.

Now the Consortium consists of 150 producers of Parma ham, and it exports the product across the world, with the UK continuing to be a major market.

At the event, Joe Gazzano, owner of the prestigious Gazzano’s delicatessen in Farringdon, will introduce each age of Parma ham and demonstrate the unique art of hand slicing. Selected Italian wines supplied by Bedales will be showcased at the event, introduced by the highly acclaimed wine expert, Jane Parkinson.

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news

Jobs under threat after Saputo confirm closure Dairy company, Saputo Inc., has announced the closure of its cheese manufacturing facility in Newcastle Emlyn, Wales, alongside other closures across its world-wide operation, including the closure of a cheese plant in Warwick, Quebec, Canada.

At the same as its UK announcement, Saputo Inc. also announced the closure of its cheese manufacturing plant in Heiden, Germany, and, in conformity with the legislative requirements in the United Kingdom, then entered into a 30-day consultation period for the proposed closure of its facility in Newcastle Emlyn, Wales.

The German plant specialises in Italian speciality cheeses for the retail market segment, and the United Kingdom facility mainly produces mozzarella for the food service market segment.

Since acquiring these businesses, Saputo says that it has aimed to penetrate the European market and get a better

understanding of its realities and dynamics.

However, the past few years have been a learning and challenging experience.

“The Saputo European business does not have sufficient critical mass to be profitable and the Company does not see short to midterm opportunities to ensure such profitability,” said the company in a statement.

“Saputo has therefore decided to close its Germany plant and proposes the closure of its United Kingdom facility, subject to the consultation period, to further concentrate efforts and resources in its current platforms and other markets.”

In the event, however, the proposed closure in Newcastle Emlyn was confirmed.

As a result, 70 jobs are now under threat in Wales, although talks are reportedly under way to find a buyer for the factory, and find a new business interested in taking over the cheese operation (the Welsh Assembly member, Rhodri Glyn Thomas, has already

Chickpea Fusilli shortlisted for a ‘free-from’ award

Domino’s appoints new head of marketing Domino’s Pizza has announced a new appointment to its marketing team in a brand new role within the department.

Jane Walker has joined Domino’s as head of marketing, and will oversee the national and local store marketing teams to help position the brand for long term growth.

Simon Wallis, Domino’s sales and marketing director, said: “I am delighted to welcome Jane to the team.

Jane’s experience of brand building and her strong background working in consumer insight will help us to continue to drive the business forward and further strengthen our marketing capabilities across all platforms.”

Jane Walker joins Domino’s from Carphone Warehouse where she was head of marketing strategy

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been in talks with the Welsh Government and some companies to help find a buyer).

“Since Saputo entered a consultation with its staff regarding closure of the factory, I and my office have had several conversations with both farming unions and with parties interested in the site,” Rhodri Glyn Thomas told the This is South Wales news site in a statement. “This is very encouraging and I will continue to monitor the progress of these discussions with a view to securing the future of the factory and its employees.”

Saputo took over ownership of the Newcastle Emlyn factory in 2006, from Dansco, and are the 12th largest dairy processor in the world, the largest in Canada, the third largest in Argentina and among the top three cheese producers in the United States. Their products are sold in more than 50 countries under well-known brand names, including Danscorella which they inherited in the Dansco buy-out.

and insight. Prior to this she spent a large part of her career in the food and beverages sector, including Costa Coffee and KFC, where she worked on marketing new business concepts.

“I’m delighted to have the opportunity to work on a truly innovative brand that is the number one player in its field. I am looking forward to working with our world class franchisees and I’m excited about continuing to build the Domino’s brand at a time when brand differentiation, as well as consumer relevance, becomes even more vital to the continued growth that Domino’s has been so successful in delivering,” said Jane Walker.

Ugo Foods’ flagship brand, Dell’Ugo, has been shortlisted in an acclaimed Free-From Innovation Award, which recognises and rewards innovation in the Gluten-Free Food sector.

The Free-From Innovation Award, sponsored by Warburtons, is open to manufacturers who have shown outstanding innovation in the last 12 months. Five to ten judges spanning nutritionists, dieticians, coeliacs and gluten intolerants, laypeople and food professionals assess products against criteria including taste, aroma, texture, functionality, complexity of manufacturing and nutritional value.

Owner Paul Ugo said: ‘’Bringing the idea of using chickpeas – a pulse rather than a grain – to the gluten-free pasta sector is challenging and innovative. Maize and ricebased dried pastas are widely available, and great like-for-like substitute for coeliacs, but chickpeas, with their high levels of protein and soluble fibre, low GI index and high-quality slowrelease carbohydrate offer an

Dell'Ugo Chickpea Fusilli has been shortlisted for a Free-From Innovation Award.

alternative not only for Coeliacs, but for slimmers and sportspeople too.’’

Head of marketing, Helena Jevons, added:“There has been a lot of interest, as we anticipated, from the traditional health-food sector, but extraordinary interest from personal trainers and holistic nutritionists too. We are delighted to have created something that resonates so much with the health and fitness consumer as well as for the Coeliacs for whom this product was originally intended.”

Dell’Ugo Gluten Free Chickpea Fusilli is currently available nationally at Waitrose and online at Ocado priced at £1.79 for 300g.

April 2013

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news Domino’s unveils first ever online football sitcom!

Vapiano to host olive festival Vapiano will be hosting a 15-day olive festival at its two restaurants in London.

The festival, ‘Viva Oliva’, will focus on a range of meals and dishes featuring olives, and it will run from Sunday April 21 to Sunday May 5 inclusive at its restaurants in the West End and City.

Olives will feature in a number of specials, including pizza, pasta, salad and bruschetta. The restaurants will also feature a tasting bar offering a range of olive oil creations as well as olive oil dip spice and olive oil salt, plus olive ciabatta.

On each of the three Sundays during the festival, diners will be able to enjoy a new creation served in a glass - olives and cucumber (April 21), olives and bell pepper (April 28) and olives and feta (May 5).

Vapiano managing director, Phil Sermon, said: “Both of our restaurants have an olive tree in the dining area and it is an important aspect of Vapiano.

“The olive festival is a fun way of offering a range of new dishes with olives as a central feature.”

Zodiak Active and Bwark Productions have unveiled the first ever online sitcom written around current weekly football events, sponsored by Domino’s in a partnership brokered by Arena Media.

The brand new web comedy, called The Support Group, created and produced by Chris Little and Jonathan M. Stern, aired in March via The Support Group TV YouTube channel, as well as on sites such as Yahoo Sport, Football365.com and The Sun Online.

Each episode of the 11 week mini-series produced by Bwark Productions - features football-obsessed work colleagues Geoff, Ronnie, Martin and Spencer, as they tease, taunt and banter with each other in response to actual stories in that weekend’s football news.

Simon Wallis, sales and marketing director at Domino’s Pizza said:“This is a great opportunity for us to sponsor a comedy series that we know will be funny, surprising and appeal to Domino’s customers. Online ordering

is a massive part of our business and we are always keen to look at innovative concepts that allow us to showcase our brand online.

“We already have a huge social media presence and have over 770,000 facebook fans and 90,000+ twitter followers on our UK sites.

We certainly understand the importance of offering fresh and interesting content on our social media pages for our customers.”

Every Monday, The Support Group team will script a new episode inspired by the hot football topics from the weekend – such as plucky Bradford City’s falling at the last hurdle in the Capital One Cup, to the latest instalment in the Premier League title race.

The initiative will give Domino’s the opportunity to engage with its core audience of football-loving customers, and UK users can become a fan of Domino’s on Facebook, follow on Twitter @Dominos_UK, visit the Domino’s UK Google+ site, or go to the Domino’s UK YouTube channel.

New Mazzoni oven available from Katerbay The Mazzoni CS6262G gas pizza oven, newly available from Katerbay, promises a quick turnaround of 12” pizzas, making it ideal for restaurants and QSRs, say its makers.

Housing a 620mm X 620mm (24.4” X 24.4”) deck, the stainless steel CS6262G can bake up to four 12-inch pizzas at once, and can also handle many other goods caterers may wish to bake in double quick time such as garlic bread and naans.

With dimensions of just 1000mm(w) x 1060mm(d) x 560mm(h), the unit is also compact yet powerful. Easy to install – just

connect up and go - it is simple to control, and each deck has two thermostat controls (upper and lower part of each chamber), say Katerbay (it retails for £1399).

Featuring a fire brick bake deck, the oven is available in Natural Gas or LPG formats with the latter making it ideal for mobile catering operations, suggest Katerbay (www.katerbay.co.uk).

Venice Bakery UK launches ‘free from’ pizza crust in the UK At the recent IFE exhibition in London, Venice Bakery UK launched what it claims is the first truly ‘free from’ crispy pizza crust that tastes as good as mainstream pizza, say the company, whose products are already available in the US. Venice Bakery’s pizza crusts tick more ‘free from’ boxes whilst delivering the great texture and taste that ‘free from’ and health consumers crave, say the US company, the bases being free from gluten, wheat, dairy, soy, corn and egg. Their secret recipe enables them to create bases with elasticity, meaning that when cooked they provide a delicious crispy crust unlike other 10

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gluten free bases on the market, claim Venice Bakery.

The launch of Venice Bakery UK’s ‘free from’ pizza bases in the UK should provide a great opportunity for retailers, restaurants and wholesalers to seize upon to tap into the growing ‘free from’ market and enhance their offer by providing greater choice to consumers who are wheat intolerant, dairy free, or who are diagnosed with Coeliac disease (the bases are all made in dedicated gluten free facility and are accredited by both the Celiac Sprue Association of America and Coeliac UK).

Adam Martyn, the managing director of Venice Bakery UK said:

“No longer do those with dietary requirements need to feel isolated when it comes to food choices. Our bases are free of many common allergens yet remain flavourful so the whole family can enjoy our delicious thin and crispy bases. This makes them a perfect choice for anyone who loves great pizza and wants a healthier option. Our bases also all bear the Coeliac UK ‘crossed grain’ logo on their packaging indicating they are suitable for people with Coeliac Disease.

We’re delighted to bring extra freedom and choice to the ‘Free From’ market in the UK.” Free of additives, preservatives, trans fats and GMO

ingredients, the bases are available in a range of sizes from 5” to 14” bases, and plain and Italian herb variants. They can be cooked in 15 to 20 minutes in a consumer oven and are suitable for private labelling, say Venice Bakery.

April 2013

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Home of good Pizza

KIREN FOODS

Unit 3 Smallbridge Business Park, Riverside Drive Rochdale, Greater Manchester OL16 2SH T: +4401706 526732 E: enquiries@kirenfoods.com www.kirenfoods.com

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news

Bibby Distribution delivers the right blend for Lavazza Bibby Distribution says that it has used its extensive expertise in the food sector to secure a prestigious new warehousing and distribution contract with Italian coffee brand, Lavazza.

The deal, secured following a competitive tender, will see Bibby Distribution handle the food service side of Lavazza’s business in the UK (the brand’s fourth largest international market outside Italy, and one of the fastest growing). The contract will be based at Bibby Distribution’s British Retail Consortium (BRC), accredited multi-user warehouse

in Stoke-on-Trent, with up to 160 individual orders being packed and distributed weekly, say the firm.

“Bibby Distribution impressed us with their commitment to continued improvement,” said a spokesperson for Lavazza. “They made it clear from the outset that their initial plan for distribution was just a starting point; we sense a real passion and desire to work with us to further improve systems and processes.”

Key to securing the contract was Bibby Distribution’s experience in handling food

products, and its ability to offer Lavazza full traceability of stock and an accurate delivery service.

Order lead times have also been reduced from five to three days – backed up by maximum focus on presentation quality to customers, say Bibby.

“Reducing lead times is one of the most important ways for us to improve our competitive edge,” added Lavazza’s spokesperson. “Bibby Distribution’s commitment to getting products to customers faster will improve customer satisfaction, whilst enabling a

slight reduction in stock levels and increased flexibility. It gives us far greater control over deliveries.”

In addition to transporting coffee, Bibby Distribution will handle a full range of complementary products, including biscuits, chocolates, branded crockery and promotional materials. Products are despatched to Lavazza’s several thousand food service customers, which includes chains, independent coffee shops, bars, restaurants and professional caterers.

Halal ingredients on the menu at Pecan Deluxe

Monin launches new rosemary flavour Cocktail syrup specialist Monin has launched an exciting new flavour – the versatile and refreshing taste of Rosemary.

The bright, emerald green syrup has a strong flavour, redolent of eucalyptus and with a slight bitter aftertaste, say Monin, and combines well with fruit flavours, such as apricot, orange and tomato, to produce light aromatic cocktails and refreshing smoothies.

James Coston, Monin UK brand ambassador, adds:“Rosemary is an exciting addition to any bar, providing a wealth of choice for mixologists when making cocktails, mocktails, teas and smoothies. Its attractive colour transforms the look of the drinks, and it perfectly encapsulates the unique flavour of this Mediterranean herb, particularly with gin and vodka-based cocktails.

“It can also be used in cooking, enhancing lamb and pork dishes, for example, and as a vinaigrette for salads and starters. There is a clear demand for herb-flavoured drinks and Monin Rosemary syrup perfectly satisfies that need and is bound to win many new fans as well.”

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European inclusions specialists Pecan Deluxe Candy (Europe) says that it is set to break into new markets in the UK and abroad after its Yorkshire site was given the seal of approval to produce Halal accredited products.

Halal certified products are sourced, manufactured, imported and distributed in accordance with Islamic law to meet the needs of Muslim consumers. After several of its confectionery inclusions passed the strict Halal Food Authority (HFA) audit at its factory, Pecan Deluxe revealed its plans to take advantage of the new opportunities presented by this accreditation.

Pecan Deluxe Technical Manager, Matthew Dobson, explained:“There is a growing trend for quick service restaurants and food manufacturers to cater for Halal customers, and we are responding to that trend by ensuring the availability of certified

inclusions. The HFA audit was technically challenging as each product had to be individually ratified by the authority as fit for consumption by Muslims.

“Pecan Deluxe is committed to offering better choice and more novel ingredients to meet demand from across the world for our 250-plus inclusions. Now, Halal food providers can tap into our expertise in getting new concepts to market quickly.

We’re confident that being able to offer Halal products will broaden our customer base and ultimately our market share across all sectors of the food industry.”

Pecan Deluxe is the brains behind some of the most famous ice-cream, confectionery and bakery inclusions in the world. The company recently invested over £200,000 in its manufacturing facility in Sherburn-In-Elmet in direct response to increasing demand for its products.

Timely launch of 35% naturally lower sodium salt Swedish salt processing company, Salinity, is launching Saltwell, a new naturally formed low sodium salt to the UK food service industry.

Mined from a vast mineral rich Jurassic sea deep below the Chilean desert, Saltwell contains 35% less sodium in its molecular make up but tastes exactly like ordinary salt, say the company.

Whilst current low sodium salts are an artificial blend of potassium and sodium and are inclined to separate and leave a bitter aftertaste, Saltwell has been formed naturally underground and is just sun dried in vast evaporation pools.

Salinity UK managing director, Luke Hodgson, explains:“Salinity is the salt category leader in Sweden with over 80 years of experience in supplying and processing salt internationally.

“With the launch of Saltwell we believe we are answering the foodservice industry’s demands for a clean and completely natural solution to lowering sodium levels. With no compromise in taste across a range of dishes and uses, we are confident that food service development chefs will share our view that Saltwell can assist with the drive to lower sodium content for its customers.”

Initial research from IPSOS testing usage across a range of meat dishes is available on the web site www.saltwell.se With the government demanding a 25% reduction in salt in restaurants, Saltwell says that the launch of its new low sodium product is very timely.

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news

Leathams to distribute ‘missing’ ingredient

SHORTS New acting MD Graham Corfield has become the acting managing director of Just-Eat, the online ordering, take-away food web site, taking over from David Buttress.

Businesses sought for TV programme Twofour Broadcast are looking for businesses to take part in a new TV series. Are you worried about the future of your business? Are you finding it tough in the current economic climate? Whatever the challenges facing your business, Twofour Broadcast would like to hear from you and have an experienced business advisor on hand to offer advice to businesses who may have concerns about their future (call Naomi on 0207 438 1851 or e mail business@twofour.co.uk).

Domino’s announces new charity partner Domino’s Pizza has just begun a new charity partnership with children’s charity Rays of Sunshine, and will be supporting the charity via its network of stores, its head office employees and through Pennies, the electronic charity box, in which Domino’s customers can round up their pizza order online and donate their spare change to charity.

Artisan wine fair to return RAW – an artisan wine fair - is returning to London, and will take place at the Old Truman Brewery (19-20 May 2013). The two-day celebration of some of the best wine talent in the world will offer visitors the chance to sample over 800 different wines from more than 200 growers, say the event’s organisers. As well as tastings, the show will feature talks from some of the world's leading experts, as well as a selection of incredible food by renowned artisan food producers and restaurants.

Time to tuck in to technology Restaurant customers want to sample the benefits of new technology when they go out for a meal, but the food industry is not serving them up, claims a survey for The Food Source. A new online resource to inform commercial decision making in the food and drink industry, suggests that three-fifths of diners would like to be able to place an order by using a touchscreen menu, for example, and more than 20% of those surveyed said they would choose a restaurant purely because it featured touchscreen menus – while one in every three eating outlets does not even have its own web site.

Strada celebrate pizza milestone Having now sold over 5,555,555 hand-stretched, freshly-baked pizzas to their customers since their foundation, the authentic Italian restaurant Strada celebrated with a special offer to thank customers for their loyalty, rewarding the public by giving them a gift code for a third off their food bill on their next visit to Strada.

www.papa.org.uk

Leathams Ltd have announced that they are to become Black Garlic™ (UK) Ltd’s exclusive distribution partner across all sales channels including export as of April this year.

Black Garlic™ - pitched as ‘the missing ingredient’ - is gently aged white garlic that takes on a new colour, taste and texture, and so providing an unexpected and inspiring flavour variation for any dish, say Leathams.

Commenting on the recent collaboration, Clive Moxham, sales and marketing director at Leathams Ltd said: “Our partnership with Black Garlic is an exciting one that sets the precedent for the direction that I would like to go in this year to manage a number of carefully selected brands. As a natural, high quality product, we strongly believe that it will fit in well with our other brands.”

Black Garlic was initially imported from South East Asia, until production moved to the UK in May 2012. Sourcing premium quality white garlic from their Global Gap approved farms in Spain, Black Garlic now carefully age the product in their

bespoke ovens in Bedfordshire.

Speaking in greater detail about the produce and anticipating a successful partnership between the two companies Bruce Isaacs added: “Working in partnership with Leathams gives us the perfect platform to introduce our unique product to all sectors of the food industry. As the UK’s only producer of black garlic, we have won popularity with Michelin-starred chefs, food lovers and novice cooks alike.

“With Leathams’ expertise and passion for food, and a refreshed and expanded product range, we are now ready to bring Black Garlic to a much wider audience.”

Black Garlic will now be available in whole bulbs, as peeled cloves, and as a paste, ensuring there is a product to suit all from deli’s, to chefs, to food manufacturers. Leathams and Black Garlic say that they are also now working on some exciting NPD which will come to market later in 2013 (current stockists include retailers such as Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Harrods, and Tree of Life).

new product-

Victor, not just a pretty counter!

Taking an idea and turning it into reality is what drives Victor Manufacturing to design, build and install bespoke foodservice counters. In conjunction with leading distributors, the company has completed and fitted servery counters in a range of sites up and down the UK. The counters take on all forms, from massive institution-size energy-saving counters fitted with all the bells and whistles, to small three unit counter runs, as found in cafés and delis.

Counters are finished in a plethora of finishes – ceramic tile, Corian, quartz, granite, brass or stainless steel with configurations, variants of curved or straight layout, to suit the sites.

They’ve produced a colour

brochure of bespoke counter installations, available in hard copy or downloadable from the company’s web site (www.victoronline.co.uk), or call 01274 722125.

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news

Appointments Section Jestic appoints a new managing director Steve Loughton has been appointed as the new managing director of Jestic Foodservice Equipment after being invited to join the company by majority shareholder, Martin Beesley.

Steve Loughton, previously managing director at Manitowoc UK and, more recently, Standex Food Service Equipment, has taken up his new position with immediate effect.

“I am delighted to have joined one of the industry’s most dynamic companies. I look forward to playing a pivotal role in the future development of Jestic Foodservice Equipment and to working with its team of exceptional foodservice professionals,” said Steve Loughton.

Martin Beesley will remain a key member of the business team in the newly created role of director of strategic development, and has no doubts

that Steve Loughton is the right man to take the company forward saying.“He is a very wellknown and hugely respected figure within the industry and has a wealth of experience in both the foodservice and retail sectors. His knowledge, experience and contacts will be vital as Jestic Foodservice Equipment looks to increase its presence in the marketplace and widen its relationships with dealers, consultants, specifiers and foodservice retailers,” he said.

Jestic Foodservice Equipment was formed in 2005 and has been instrumental in the success of a number of leading catering equipment brands in the UK including Josper, Woodstone, Middleby Marshall, Henny Penny, Rotisol and Irinox. More recently it agreed distribution terms for bespoke range manufacturer Marrone and Vitamix high performance blending machines.

Tulip has confirmed the appointment of Chris Thomas to the role of Chief Executive Officer of its UK operation with effect from 15 May 2013.

Chris Thomas will join Tulip from Adelie Foods where, in the position of CEO since 2009, he has been instrumental in establishing Adelie as one of the UK's leading food to go businesses, supplying the retail, coffee shop, travel and contract catering sectors.

Tulip Ltd's current CEO and chairman, Flemming Enevoldsen, commented: "We have undertaken a rigorous search in order to find the right individual to lead the Tulip business here in the UK and I know that Chris' experience, customer relationships and value set make him a fantastic fit for our business.

"I will, of course, ensure an effective induction and handover before I return to Denmark and I am confident that Tulip Ltd will continue to strengthen its position under

Chris Thomas has joined Tulip Ltd.

Chris' leadership."

Flemming Enevoldsen will relocate back to Denmark at the beginning of July where he will continue to work with the Danish Crown Group as Chairman of Tulip Ltd and CEO of DC Foods, which includes the four processing companies within the Danish Crown Group.

Chris Thomas added: "I am absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to join a business of Tulip's expertise and scale, and look forward to working with the team to build on the phenomenal growth it has enjoyed over recent years."

Ugo Foods recruit executive chef

Papa John’s new business development manager Papa John’s has appointed a new business development manager – Anthony Round – who will now be responsible for helping existing franchisees expand their retail footprint in addition to supporting new franchisees joining Papa John’s.

“I am delighted to become part of the Papa John’s team,” confirmed Anthony Round. “The company now has more than 200 stores in the UK and is focused on growth. With its excellent product and marketing innovation I am very much looking forward to working closely with new and existing franchisees to help Papa John’s reach its goal of 500 stores across the UK within the next few years.

“My experience means I will be well placed to support franchisees to help them start up and grow their individual franchises.”

Anthony Round has more than 20

Chris Thomas is the new CEO of Tulip Ltd

Anthony Round has joined Papa John’s.

years’ experience in the franchising industry, with previous senior roles at Domino’s, Pizza Hut, Dwyer Group and most recently Cash Generators.

Papa John's has become one of the largest pizza companies in the world, with around 4,000 stores worldwide and is rapidly expanding in 33 markets around the globe. In the UK, it says that it currently has opportunities for potential franchisees in the key locations of the South East, Yorkshire, Manchester, West Midlands, East Midlands, South West, North East, Wales and Scotland.

Ugo Foods has recruited top chef Steve Walpole to head up its recipe development, officially confirming him as executive head development chef as of March.

Steve Walpole will report direct to chairman, Paul Ugo, and take charge of the creation and expansion of the company’s delicious fresh pasta recipes.

Prior to his appointment at Ugo Foods, Steve Walpole was executive chef at Corney & Barrow Bars, senior executive development chef at Gate Gourmet, and a senior lecturer at Westminster Kingsway College where he was also course coordinator for part of Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Foundation.

“Steve has a wealth of experience within top-end catering and restaurants. He fulfilled our need perfect

and is exactly the pedigree we are looking for as we develop the Dell’Ugo brand moving forward,” said Paul Ugo, chairman and business owner.“As a family run business we are fortunate to have the opportunity to do things a bit differently than bigger food companies.

Bringing in a talented young chef to develop our future range is a testament to our nimbleness and culture for creative minds.”

Steve Walpole’s immediate focus will be creating a top-tier pasta range for Dell’Ugo. Dell’Ugo is the UK’s largest fresh pasta brand and specialises in making filled and unfilled pasta, based on authentic Italian recipes. The Dell’Ugo products are available nationwide and can also be found in Ocado and Waitrose.

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www.papa.org.uk

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Have you got what it takes to become

PIZZA CHEF of the year 2013

a z z i P f e h C ? r a e Y e h t f o What’s required?

Contestants will be asked to create a pizza recipe using a specific sponsor’s product in each category they enter, together with products of their own choice.

This year’s sponsors are Bel UK (cheese suppliers), Greencore (ingredients suppliers), Whitworths Bros (flour suppliers) and Tulip (pizza topping suppliers), and all will be specifying and supplying a particular ingredient to be used by contestants in the four sponsored sections of each regional heat.

Pizzas will be judged on taste, presentation, commercial viability and innovative use of the sponsor’s product.

The winner in each category in each region - the Midlands, Scotland, North, South East and South West – will go forward to compete in the final to be held at the Lancaster London Hotel on 14 November 2013.

A prestigious opportunity This year has already seen IFE host the UK heat of Italy’s World Pizza Competition, in which a past winner of PAPA’s Pizza Chef of the Year competition - Tony Macera – triumphed (he is now competing this month on the world stage at the World Final in Parma, Italy).

There is no doubt that pizza competitions are becoming more popular and hotly contested than ever before,

Midlands heat 11am, Monday, 7 October 2013 Freshway Chilled Foods Stafford Court, Stafford Road, Wolverhampton WV10 7EL. Scotland heat Noon, Monday, 14 October 2013 West Lothian College, Almondvale Crescent, Livingston, West Lothian EH54 7EP. Northern heat 11am, Tuesday, 15 October 2013 Stateside Foods Test Kitchen 31-34 Great Bank Road, Wingate Industrial Park, Westhoughton, Bolton BL5 3XU. South East heat 11am, Monday, 21 October 2013 Bel UK, Suite 1, 2nd Floor, 160 London Road, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1BT. South West heat Monday, 28 October 2013, Bristol (start time and venue to be confirmed).

offering participants the chance to not only network with colleagues and suppliers to the industry at large, but also presenting a major opportunity to bring considerable prestige to their own pizza business should they win!

If you wish to take part in the Pizza Chef of the Year Award competition 2013, please either telephone Pam Sainsbury on 01291 636341, leaving your full name, address and telephone number, or email pam@jandmgroup.co.uk with your details.

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meat

Mighty meats Pizzas featuring meat toppings are some of the most frequently ordered pizzas in the business, appealing to a key target market for the sector – 15 to 35 year-old males. And with the supply of meat products having been in the spotlight recently, consumers are showing more interest in the origin, authenticity and quality of products than even before. Here, some of the sector’s suppliers discuss the latest trends, as well as their commitment to maintaining high standards.

Always popular “Meat toppings are a massive hit with our customers with Pepperoni Passion consistently featuring in our top five selling pizzas,” says Simon Wallis, sales and marketing director at Domino’s Pizza UK, commenting on the popularity of meat toppings. “Another stand out pizza for us is our Tandoori Hot, mostly due to the UK’s appetite for Indian dishes.

“However, we are constantly looking at interesting pizza combinations that we know will excite our customers. Our Stuffed Crust bases have been really well received since we launched them a couple of years ago, and we’ve recently gone one step further and now stuff the crusts with Hot Dogs!

“The new Domino’s Hot Dog Stuffed Crust is like every Domino’s Stuffed Crust and is made from scratch using fresh dough. It is particularly tasty when filled with mustard too, but if that’s not your style then the option is there to leave it out.

“We continue to look at food trends and are always looking at what our customers would

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enjoy. Pulled meat dishes are certainly very popular right now, and so this is something we may well consider offering in the future.”

When it comes to our favourite meats for pizza toppings, it’s clear that pepperoni still leads the way, having accounted for the bulk of new retail product launches in the last 12 months, report Dawn Farms, a supplier of cooked meat ingredients and fermented meats such as salami and chorizo, as well as pepperoni. In fact, this continuing demand is testament to pepperoni’s enduring appeal with pizza consumers at large, feel the company.

Valerio's, a company that has been established since 1964, has long specialised in the manufacture of meat pizza toppings from its dedicated dairy and meat plant in Bedfordshire, boasting a unique range of fresh and cured/fermented meat products ranging from pepata fresh sausage to casalinga dry sausage and their traditional pepperoni as well as coppa and pancetta.

Its pepperoni is made from a unique recipe, now almost 50 years old, passed down through the generations of the Valerio family and made from a unique blend of spices, and in addition to drying and curing, the product is fermented which

Meat now features as part of Domino’s innovative hot dog-style, stuffed crust pizza, served with, or without, mustard.

gives it a great depth of flavour.

Its reputation as a market leader in UK manufactured sliced pepperoni continues to grow and it is now widely used throughout some of the best known pizza restaurants in the UK, report the company.

All of their products are produced with authentic Italian spices using traditional recipes and a unique drying and curing process, using five dedicated temperature/humidity controlled maturation rooms.

These are automatically controlled at various stages of the maturation process to create these unique products, using only fresh lean cuts of whole pork shoulder, say Valerio’s.

Their fresh pepata sausages are also becoming increasingly popular throughout delicatessens and cafés, with a taste that lends itself to a novel use in salads or as a main course in itself, suggest the company.

And more recently their fresh pepata has been used as a pizza topping as well, either crumbled or sliced, and as a traditional ingredient in ragu sauces.

Their casalinga range is the perfect accompaniment to

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meat

antipasto. Shaped as a horseshoe, it is ready-to-eat and is also a unique alternative to pepperoni on pizzas (this cured sausage is available in a mild or piccante variety), suggest Valerio’s.

Their coppa and pancetta range are made from the finest selective cuts of pork shoulder, delicately hand rubbed and seasoned several times over with special salts and spices during the curing process to ensure that their delicate, sweet taste develops.

Valerio’s speciality meat products can help to add many dimensions of flavour to recipes.

All their products are made with 100% pork shoulder meat, and so as you would expect from this level of meat content, the quality of the products are reflected in their taste (Valerio's can also produce bespoke recipes to customers’ requirements). Their products are available either presliced or in whole sausage format as well as minced, ready for use in sauces, and available in a range of varying spice levels, and samples of the range are available upon request.

Dawn Farms also supply many leading retail and

www.papa.org.uk

foodservice customers, having become a major producer of pepperoni, annually processing enough pepperoni alone to top over 200 million pizzas, and added new speciality meats to their portfolio.

“When it comes to meat toppings, the absolute musthaves are pepperoni, ham, A charcuterie selection of specialist meats supplied by Leathams.

bacon, chicken and beef,” says Jack McDermot, the company’s consumer insights manager. “But in addition to the growth in regular pepperoni, we have also seen more and more customers in both retail and foodservice introducing other premium options to their selection.”

Dawn Farms notes that in foodservice, Pizza Express, Prezzo and Domino’s have all launched variations on toppings (such as Ventricina, for example), as part of a premium, gourmet or ‘chefapproved’ selections.

Most private-label retail selections now feature chorizo as a premium topping too, with the addition of extra flourishes such as goat’s cheese and roasted Mediterranean vegetables. Chorizo is also used in chunky sliced or diced form, and by Domino’s in its core range, as well as Green Isle on its Goodfella’s pizzas.

“Whether sliced or diced, it tends to be chunkier and comes in smaller pieces, resulting in a really satisfying bite and strong, spicy paprika flavour with a hint of acidity in the recipe. It tastes great on a piping hot pizza,” adds Jack McDermot.

Meat feasts From its on-going and extensive research in tracking consumer preferences in the pizza market (visit www.dawnfarms.ie to sign

up for its weekly ‘Top 9 for Friday’ consumer and menu trends report), Dawn Farms firmly believes that there is a greater desire for hearty, mighty meat toppings with bold flavours, especially among younger consumers. To this end, the company conducts extensive research and kitchen experimentation into variations on the ‘meat feast’ pizza so beloved of 15 to 35-year-old males – the UK’s core pizza consumer.

“You can tell the importance of this by the fact that big delivery pizza players like Pizza Hut and Domino’s have several extra-meaty pizzas on their menus featuring anywhere between three and six meats each,” observes Jack McDermot.

“For example, you might combine ham, bacon, pepperoni and even pastrami on a pizza – with a hit of mushrooms and onions. Alternatively, for a chunkier bite, the topping mix would include bacon, beef chunks, chicken strips and even chorizo in thick slices or chunks – paired with mixed peppers, say.”

Aside from the iconic meat feast, other flavours which have crossed over into pizza in recent years, report Dawn Farms, have been Mexican, Asian street food and various USA-style flavour profiles such as buffalo chicken or regional barbecue (Memphis and Texas style, for example).

“The great thing about these new flavour trends is that you can use a standard ‘make-table’ of ingredients, then use boldly flavoured sauces (readily available these days) to build a pizza which fits the trend,” says Dermot McGreal, Dawn Farms’ development chef.

“For example, a simple pizza with chicken and onions is instantly enlivened by a zig-zag swirl of buffalo hot sauce. If it’s pastrami on your pizza, why not pair it with black olives and then drizzle some American mustard on top for instant New York Deli appeal?”

Flavoured chicken toppings – such as fajita and tikka – represent an easy way to differentiate menus or ranges and add lightness to attract people who otherwise might

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meat not consider pizza, and with sliced meats, some pizza manufacturers are adding an instant ‘rustic’ appeal to their products by acting like Italian pizzaioli and tearing sliced meats into irregular pieces to give an authentic appearance, reveal Dawn Farms.

“A further development with meat products has been the naming of meat cuts used in meat products as an important indicator of quality for consumers,” adds Dermot McGreal. “That’s why you will see McDonald’s referring to its burgers as ‘made from forequarter or flank’ and its chicken products as ‘made from breast meat’.

“Our hams are made from pork leg. In the UK, our sister company TMI Foods makes its quality cooked bacon from a range of cuts such as pork back or belly.”

Health is increasingly on the agenda too when it comes to pizza, as witnessed by the recent gluten-free pizza launches from Pizza Hut and Domino’s.

“While pizza is seen as an indulgent treat by consumers, the industry recognises that it also has a part to play on healthier options. That’s why all cooked and fermented meats in the standard Dawn Farms Foodservice range have no added hydrogenated fats, and no artificial colours or flavours,” confirms Jack McDermot.

Regional flavours Whilst spicy and smoky toppings are set to carry on their success from last year, authentic, regional ingredients are not far behind and are gaining more popularity amongst consumers, emerging as a favourite for 2013, note the pizza ingredients supplier, Leathams.

As customers become more knowledgeable and aware about the provenance of their food, the need for original, Italian ingredients has grown.

“There has been a shift towards ‘real’, speciality Italian fayre for some time now, and recently we have seen a budding interest in our spicy salami ranges,” says James Faulkner, ingredients sales director at Leathams.

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Keeping an eye on things in testing times – Philip Paul, MD of Snowbird Foods.

“Of particular interest has been our Nduja - a soft, smoked and spicy Calabrian sausage from Italy - that is easily spread over pizzas to add a fiery heat from its roasted chilli peppers and a mixture of spices.

“Other Spicy Salami lines that have also experienced an uplift are our Salsiccia Napoli Piccante - which originates from Naples and is an authentic Italian pepperoni - and Ventricina salami from Abruzzo, a coarse pork salami with black peppercorns and chilli, and that works very well indeed on pizza.”

With regards to smoky flavours, Leathams say that they have noticed an increase in the sales of their Prosciutto di Speck - a cured and smoked ham with pepper and juniper that is traditionally made in the Alto Adige region of Northern Italy.

This meat offers a strong smoky and rich taste, and something which is right on trend for this year, feel the company.

Whilst these innovative, regional salamis present the consumer with variety, James Faulkner has also noted that there has been a renewed

awareness around infused flavours on pizzas. “Unique flavour combinations are starting to make an appearance on pizza menus and the popularity of our traditional Tuscan style salami – Finocchiona - is evidence of this,” he says.

“Made from pork spiced with fennel seed, it has an intriguing, sweet and complex flavour.

According to legend, we owe its creation to a thief at a fair near the town of Prato, who stole fresh salami and hid it in a stand of wild fennel. When he returned for it, he found it had absorbed the aromas of its hiding place and had become a food fit for the gods!”

With requirements for such taste sensations set to be around for some time to come, Leathams feel that their new meat offering will fit well with this trend, as well as their future plans to bring further innovation to the pizza market.

“We have also recently introduced Spianata Romana and Spianata Piccante. These are flattened salamis which have rectangular rather than round slices. These add interesting

shapes to pizzas, and also work especially well in panini,” suggests James Faulkner.

“Also, to ensure that we really keep on trend, we have just developed some Roquito® meat balls, that are not only packed with flavour, but will help to compliment any pizza or pasta dish by offering a spicy, yet sweet, kick.”

Provenance in the spotlight The subject of provenance, quality and assurance of raw materials has, of course, been the issue of the moment for many in the food sector of late, and Dawn Farms says that for its part, it has its own enhanced proprietary food safety standard called Food Plus. This scheme takes a forensic approach to food safety and quality using the latest bio-security, surveillance and profiling techniques.

It is also supported by a number of other accreditations including BRC (British Retail Consortium) A Grade and membership of Origin Green and SEDEX – the not-for-profit organisation dedicated to driving improvements in ethical and responsible business practices in global supply chains.

In addition, in the UK, its sister company here, TMI, has Red Tractor accreditation (Red Tractor being an independently audited food assurance scheme in the UK covering production standards developed by experts on safety, hygiene, animal welfare and the environment among other areas).

Of late, it has seemed that comminuted meat suppliers who have been able to comfortably ride out the horsemeat scandal have proved few and far between, feel Snowbird Foods. A supplier of fully cooked and frozen sausages and meatballs, plus ingredients for pizza toppings, sandwiches, wraps and ready meals, Snowbird emerged unscathed as other companies - many of them significantly larger than this North London-based processor, they point out - contributed to a loss of confidence in the industry by having to report the finding of horsemeat in some products.

Thorough checks by the £12

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meat million plus turnover-company confirmed that none of its products had been contaminated by horsemeat, and Snowbird say that they can attribute this to its long term procurement plan.

It is the company’s policy to buy British, predominately from Red Tractor approved sources and three years ago, after extensive research, it further extended its commitment to traceability and consistency for its flagship range by exclusively buying from a single source of outdoor reared pigs of a specified breed specially chosen because it produced top quality meat as well as the ideal quantity of fat to make the perfect sausage.

Pork is Snowbird’s primary raw material although the company also handles growing quantities of beef, lamb, chicken and turkey, which it ensures all are drawn from reputable sources in Britain.

Manufacturing, storage and distribution are all controlled by Snowbird’s Quality Management

System which meets the British Retail Consortium standard for accreditation, and all procedures are documented in accordance with Due Diligence legislation, say the firm. This system (and the supporting HACCP’s manual) enables them to reliably meet customer specifications (including the sourcing of raw materials) and ensures employees commit to and achieve that target.

“Our philosophy of paying the price for top quality ingredients from reputable sources has cost us some short term gains in the past, but it has meant we were not in any way involved in the ‘horsegate’ nightmare, and that proved a huge assurance to our existing customers and an attraction to the growing number of new ones,” commented Snowbird’s managing director, Philip Paul.

Steve Quinn, MD of the school catering company, Cucina Restaurants, is in agreement with this ethos, blaming a cost-based approach for the recent crisis, and having subsequently called

for a complete rethink on the use of processed foods in the UK. Writing in his company blog, he blamed the use of processed meat products as the major reason for the recent horse meat crisis, and a system which places too much emphasis on lowered costs.

"If supermarkets and suppliers are only driven by the need to drive costs lower and lower in order to make bigger margins, other links in the manufacturing chain will be under great pressure to take shortcuts just so that they too can make their profit," he stated, highlighting the inevitable compromises that such a system brings. "Caterers who avoid this path by careful ethical sourcing and cooking everything from scratch avoid any risk of contaminated food - it just won't happen."

After the recent scandal around meat contamination in the UK, Leathams’ technical director, Martin Jarvis, also remarked on the processes they deploy to ensure the quality of

their meat products. Noting the necessity of operating in partnership to deliver the best quality products at a fair price, he is keen above all to stress the importance of going the extra mile to identify all the stages of the food supply chain.

“At Leathams, we take a holistic approach to food safety and all of our products are monitored through detailed checks on our product specifications, challenge testing and through our comprehensive and thorough full supply chain approval process,” says Martin Jarvis.

“We do not source directly or indirectly from any supplier implicated in the equine and porcine meat adulteration issue, and at present our suppliers do undertake DNA testing of meats supplied, and we have been able to satisfy all ‘at risk’ customers through providing these DNA tests to them. Where we risk assess and believe there is a need to, we will implement further DNA testing for our own due diligence.”

Part of the Valerio speciality meat range

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Pizza Flour for the Pizza Professional

Victoria Mills,Wellingborough,Northants NN8 2DT Tel:(01933) 441000

pizzapasta and Italian food magazine

DIRECTORY 13/14

The essential quick reference guide to suppliers and manufacturers to the industry on CD. Contact Andrew Emery today for your company listing: tel: 01291 636334 email: andrew@jandmgroup.co.uk www.papa.org.uk

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Brickoven Milano Brickoven Milano (www.brickoven.it) has been trading successfully across five distinct stores in Milan, Italy, since 1997. A restaurant concept perhaps ahead of its time in its early approach to embracing food intolerances, as well as its green credentials and commitment to the sourcing of high quality, authentic ingredients, it has now arrived in the UK, in London, launching last year at 66 Chiswick High Road.

Ethos In March 1997, Marco Montorfano, who says that he had inherited an entrepreneurial spirit from his grandfather, Giacomo, decided to open a new restaurant business in the upmarket Brera district of Milan, aiming to offer high quality and specialise in a very competitive field by making his restaurant stand out from the competition.

This was carried out in several ways. Firstly, Brickoven Milano decided to offer a menu that focused on pizza and steak, soon finding that this combination proved to be very successful and different, and more unusual than 24

pizzapasta AND ITALIAN FOOD

the traditional style of restaurant to be found in Milan at the time.

As can be imagined, in Milan, it was originally a challenge for the company to come up with the right name, given the number of pizza-focused restaurants, and the fact that keen differentiation is made between different styles of pizzerias. In the end they settled on Brickoven because it conveyed not only the baking of freshlymade pizza, but also sounded cool to boot when combined with the word ‘Milano’.

And although the inclusion of the word ‘brick’, might lead you to expect to see a wood-fired oven, they in actual fact prefer a gas-

fired equivalent in order to maintain an accurate temperature control. The use of a wood-fired oven would require more skilled staff and present a challenge, and the use of wood is also a cultural thing, with attitudes to its use changing, feel this restaurant group, due to its sustainability and waste issues. An EU directive has, in any case, started to limit the use of wood-fired ovens in many places for over five years now, report the restaurant chain.

They also set about creating a tasty and distinctive, oval-shaped pizza that arrives on an ovalshaped wooden base, is light to eat, and characterised by being

very thin and fragrant. Critically, it is made from a special dough mixture that does not utilise yeast - hence why it is kept oval-shaped (in the absence of yeast as a ‘glue’, it is more difficult to work the dough and achieve the consistently, large round shape more traditionally seen for pizza).

This absence of yeast is because Brickoven Milano wanted to be one of the first restaurant companies in Milan to be able to offer its customers a menu that catered for their food intolerances. This aspect, they determined, would demonstrate that they have respect for their customers and their respective April 2013

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profile

cultures and religions.

As you might also expect from such an ethos, Brickoven Milano has also set out to reduce its environmental footprint too. So, for all activities for which it is not possible improve the ecological impact, they have decided to be part of a scheme whereby these greenhouse gas emissions are offset, thereby cancelling out the negative impact of carbon dioxide-producing businesses and helping to create zero emissions in the process.

This negating of carbon dioxide emissions is being carried out via their participation in a project in Brazil where they help a brick company there that needed an air purifier, to be able to offset its emissions from the reduction made in their own.

Food intolerances On the menu at Brickoven Milano, you will see different pasta types (faro – spelt - penne, for example, as well as the use of corn, quinoa, barley and rice) and quickly see that different food options and food intolerances are catered for and signposted via an ‘ok for’ legend (one for milk intolerance, one for egg intolerance, one for flour intolerance and another for yeast intolerance).

In order to make their special pizza dough, and just as they do in their Milan stores, they use different grains, notably Kamut (an ancient cereal in the wheat family that was used by the Egyptians to make bread, and which is low in gluten and so able to be tolerated by more people), together with oil, salt and water.

The use of Kamut means that their pizzas are better for the

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digestion, claim the company, and is an ingredient they have been using from the start.

“For the European customer, the nature of ingredients and availability of organic food has been getting more and more important. People want to know what’s in their food,” says Marco Montorfano.“In Italy, for example, there is more and more interest in different types of pasta these days. And in general, Mediterranean cuisine has always been associated with better health - we don’t tend to use butter, for instance.”

The restaurant’s close attention to its high quality food and authenticity of supply is evident in many ways, such as the fact that it offers two types of mozzarella cheese – one from Naples, as well as a second type sourced from Lombardy.

The London restaurant can seat from 110 to 140 people, with the provision for 25 people to be seated outside. Since opening, their most popular pizzas so far have proved to be the Margherita, Mushroom, Four Seasons and Mexican Meat which features tomato, mozzarella, carpaccio, grana Padano cheese and Tabasco sauce.

Brickoven Milano does not skimp on its ingredients and portion sizes. 160g of dough is used to make one very large, and generous-looking, oval-shaped pizza, together with 130g of mozzarella, baked at a high temperature (600oC). Their premium meats are sourced from high quality suppliers, their beef currently coming from Scotland, reports proprietor, Marco Montorfano.

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profile Families welcome The first Brickoven Milano experienced something of a historic start when it opened 16 years ago as a new, up and coming concept in the upmarket Brera area of Milan, which in terms of its relaxed mix of retail and residential property perhaps reflects the nature of the Chiswick High Road location that they went on to select in London.

The only real difference between the Milan menu and the London menu, says Marco Montorfano, is the number of pizzas on it (some 60 in Milan, but 40 in London). The Milan restaurants are also smaller, the designs perhaps not so contemporary as has been devised for the London operation which features wide open spaces with chic and stylish-looking fixtures and fittings. Run as an independent, family business, it is clear that this small restaurant chain prefers the ‘non-franchise’ approach which allows them to lavish the necessary attention to detail to get the best from each of their locations.

Marco Montorfano, who now lives in London with his family, says that he had been wanting to open a Brickoven Milano in London for some three to four years, and a year ago, when he came to London to look at the restaurant scene more closely here, he decided that there was a gap in the market for what his restaurant was offering, and not least its particular emphasis on being a welcoming place for families to enjoy a meal.

Upon visiting the Chiswick High Road area of London, he soon decided that he liked its combination of residential area and shopping areas, deciding that it was a more family-focused part of the capital with a large restaurant opportunity. The restaurant has a play area dedicated to children, and which parents can also conveniently view remotely via a complementary camera view that’s provided for them via a portable tablet that can be placed on the table.

Needless to say, Brickoven Milano would like to open more restaurants in London, again in

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residential, family oriented areas, such as Wimbledon perhaps. As with many Italian concepts launching in the UK, the delivery organisation behind them is all geared up to the venues and cities they operate in, in Italy, and so upon arrival in the UK market, they tend to concentrate on

London initially to be able to maintain the same levels of successful operation in terms of being able to still source the same high quality level of ingredients.

“We are getting to understand our customers in London more, their preferences and likes,” says Marco Montorfano. “We have found that our service levels and quality levels are very important here, particularly in an environment when people go on line to leave reviews.

“Given the current economic situation, we have also found it easier to open a restaurant here than in Milan, where’s there more red tape,” he reflects, hinting at a ‘pay and then we’ll speak’ mentality in Italy.

The child-friendly nature of

Brickoven Milano seems to have automatically made it a very popular destination for families at the weekend, with the restaurant typically serving some 300 customers during a weekend, in the region of 70 of them being children (the restaurant is also proving to be an ideal venue for children’s parties too).

“Seventy per cent of restaurants in Chiswick offer Italian or Mediterranean stylecuisine, so there is plenty of competition here, but there also seems to be a trend for lighter pizza,” observes Marco Montorfano, who, when asked, suggests that Zizzi might well be the closest in nature to the pizza Brickoven Milano make (although Brickoven Milano’s pizza is noticeably far lighter).

All their meat is used and supplied fresh, they do not cook/process it as such, as it is typically put on a pizza after the pizza has been baked. They say that they have been faithful to the Molino Lario brand of flour since they began, and also pay careful attention to sourcing other high quality essentials, such as their tomatoes.

“Quality of ingredients is a sign of respect for your customer,” says Marco Montorfano. “We have a brand that is known for high quality.”

They employ a number of Italians already living in London, saying that they appreciate their approach which they find works well for their business. Unlike in Italy, the existence of the tronque (tips) here also incentivises staff and helps them to be able to increase their basic salary. They employ 18 staff, and are open from nine in the morning until 10.30pm at night in order to provide an all-day offering. They can also provide a take-away option, and estimate that 50% of what they sell is pizza, and 50% comprised of the rest of their menu such as steaks and pasta.

To encourage people to try food other than pizza and raise awareness about their presence, they recently organised a wellattended ‘one-off’ aperitivo night in conjunction with Italians of London (a network of some 16,000 Italians living in London – www.italiansoflondon.com).

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world pizza championship

UK final of the Pizza World Championship 2013 There was an Italian flavour to the recent IFE, with the exhibition the place to be to see the UK final of Italy’s annual Pizza World Championship, the final of which will be held in Parma next month, and where pizzaioli from across the world will compete for the coveted overall title.

Well organised This Italian championship can claim to be the longest running and best-attended pizza event in the world, annually attracting around 450 competitors from 30 different countries, including the US, Japan, Brazil, Germany, France, Australia, and now the UK, where pizza has become big business and interest in its artisan nature is keener than ever before as outlets seek to up the quality of their pizza product.

“The competition was very well organised with everyone having their own workspace with refrigeration and worktops. We were well informed about the day’s proceedings and everyone knew exactly what they were doing and when!” reports the UK winner, Tony Macera.

“The pizza ovens (Zanolli) were the correct professional size, and electric, and we were all given the time to try them out before the start of the competition. There was even a master pizza chef (pizza instructor) next to the oven at all times to ensure that the oven was kept to the right temperature for all competitors.

“We were given numbers and provided with sponsors T-shirts (5 Stagioni) if we wished to wear them, and were told at what time we would be starting our prep and what time the oven would be ours. From prep to completing your pizza took 15 minutes.

“We presented our pizza to 28

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UK results 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Tony Macera (Divito’s, Glasgow) Fabrizio Perella (Divito’s, Glasgow) Christopher Pettinato (Fratelli la Bufala, London) Renato Milan (Delicious, London) Giuseppe Milillo (La Focaccia di Nonna Grazia, Bari) Gianluca Scassamacchia (Delicious, London) Costantinos Kayyal (Pizzabar Casa Roma, Acarnus) Michele Mauriello (Fratelli la Bufala, London) Raffaele Carlone (West End Fayre, Edinburgh) Giovanni Galati (Da Lucio, London) Pierfederico Ricci (Federicci Ltd, Kent) Fabrizio Interdonato (Al Forno in Putney, London) Marian Lorenchik (Pizzeria Pulcinella, London)

In it to win it – 13 UK-based pizza chefs took part in the UK final of this year’s Pizza World Championship.

the judges (three judges all from the pizza/food industry) who were very professional, asking questions not only about the ingredients but how the dough was made, what flour we use and why, the levitation of the dough etc. The pizza was judged not only for taste but also for the preparation and the manner in which it was cooked. We were asked why we had used the

After success in the UK final, Tony Macera says that he might well be making some seasonal adjustments to his winning pizza (top right) in preparation for the Parma final.

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ingredients we had, and what made us think they would blend together. All the judges were very professional and knew what they were doing and asking.”

Worthwhile “In all, I found the competition enjoyable with a very friendly

atmosphere with the pizza chefs mixing well and learning and swapping ideas with each other,” says Tony Macera, who seems to have a particular skill in combining great flavours.

His winning pizza – called Montanara Ciociora - was named after the valley of Ciociaria in

Italy, he reports (the area where he comes from originally), and features a white based pizza with mozzarella, a paste made from chick peas, potatoes and oil, together with a secret ingredient, before being topped with salami with fennel, and finished with truffle-infused sheep cheese shavings, grated porcini mushrooms and a sprinkle of chives.

“I intend to use the same pizza for the competition in Parma, but obviously a few seasonal changes will be made,” he adds. “I feel more chefs should enter these competitions. Don't think about the winning, think

about the overall experience!

“It’s great to have so many talented people who share the same passion together, to bounce around ideas and gain more insight to their own profession. I personally have learned so much since I started going to various competitions and it gives you a sense of pride when others look to you for ideas and advice.

“I have come away feeling that I have learned new ideas and have participated in a competition where it is the chef and his knowledge that counts and not just the ingredients put onto the pizza.”

The Pizza Oven People Nationwide distributors of pizza, bakery and catering equipment.

• Pizza ovens • zanolli conveyor ovens • dough mixers • pizza rollers • Refrigerated prep tables • fridges & freezers • chargrills • food prep machines

Bake it Better – Use the Best

Official Ovens of the 2013 World Pizza Championships As seen at the IFE Exhibition.

Distributed in the UK by Cater-Bake UK Ltd

Tel: 0870 0660 476 E: info@cater-bake.co.uk W: www.cater-bake.co.uk www.papa.org.uk

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technology

technology We have the

As we outline here, some of the everyday tasks such as stock ordering, invoice management, as well as order taking and complying with food safety law can be made easier for outlets if they are prepared to embrace some of the many up and coming software applications that have been designed with the particular needs of catering businesses in mind.

Windows Phone-friendly app Future Platforms mobile developers, for example, have been working with Domino’s Pizza for the past year to create what is being pitched as one of the most exciting mobile strategies for a food brand in the UK, helping to take pizza ordering to the next level. Digital innovation is now at the heart of their brand, say Domino’s, who have created m-commerce channels on a wide range of mobile platforms including web, iOS, Android, and Windows Phone.

The brand’s first Windows Phone (WP) app was built last year on WP7 using Kirin - Future Platforms’ cross-platform development framework and the app’s successful UX, design and implementation meant it became a blueprint for the company’s future mobile development, with January 2013 seeing the start of the development for the WP8 app.

So what is the WP8 app all about? It’s a comprehensive ordering channel from Domino’s Pizza, which offers an array of features that makes the most of WP8 as a new platform, but also includes the following functions.

• Live tile notifications (to showcase and notify users of the latest meal deals on offer in their local store).

• NFC tags (so that customers can redeem their vouchers by tapping on any NFC tagged print material).

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• Voice activation (meaning the app can be started up with a simple voice command such as “Domino’s Pizza, I’m hungry” or “feed me”).

This innovative functionality complements the app’s primary function - to make ordering via a WP8 mobile as easy and quick as possible, say Domino’s.

“The Domino’s WP8 app is essentially a m-commerce app that incorporates more innovative functionality such as voice activation and NFC which required a bit more work. We wanted every feature to add to the app’s usability, rather than just be a gimmick, so we worked a lot on making sure the VA commands do exactly what users want,” commented Martin Chandler and Kader Kawsar, mobile developers at Future Platforms, in a statement.

“We built the app using Kirin, which is all about making cross-platform development more ingenious and easy for developers. Kirin gives you the option to migrate and develop a mobile app’s functionality onto another platform very conveniently - which also makes it popular with client’s budgeting too! On

this app it made our lives easier because Kirin’s back end business logic is built generically for crossplatform support, while the front end UI was written specifically for Windows Phone 8.”

Paul Francis, head of commercial systems at Domino’s, added: “Working with Future Platforms over the past year has been fun and our decision to select them to develop our native ordering apps was based on the success of our WP7 channel.

“The great

reception it received from Domino’s customers meant it became the blueprint for iPhone and now WP8. Our goal is to build a consistent low cost omnichannel platform and Kirin goes a long way in helping us to achieve that. I would encourage the mobile developer community to get involved and help make the Kirin platform great for everyone.”

Key working strengths of the WP8 app include the fact that it is quick and very responsive. Up scaling is built into the interface, so you can adapt to the form factor it’s viewed on, allowing you to standardize your xml.

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technology documented, easy to implement and works very well, say Domino’s, and WP8 is able to easily identify what is being communicated to the customer on the live tile and app.

Martin Chandler and Kader Kawsar from Future Platforms, continued: “Aspects we’d like to see developed on the platform going forward include deeplinking from live tiles, which Microsoft could provide more capabilities for, and flip tiles which really could have different links on front and back to economise on information display.

“Splash screens also need some work, as not being able to upscale them automatically meant we had to create custom images for resolutions, which wasn’t ideal. Overall, however, we are Windows Phone fans. The platform has so much potential going forward and a lot of unique advantages already, despite being early days.”

Brett Siddons, head of UK consumer marketing for Windows Phone added: “We’re delighted Windows Phone 8 users will be able to enjoy the innovative functionality of the new Dominos app. The app takes full advantage of Windows Phone’s unique Live Tile functionality to make ordering your pizza as seamless as possible. At a glance, users will be able to view the latest meal deals on offer, in their local Dominos store and place an order using the helpful voice activation feature."

Details of the latest Domino’s Windows Phone 8 app can be found on twitter by following @futureplatforms , @kirinjs, and @Dominos_UK (further information can be found at http://www.windowsphone.com/ en-gb or on the windows blog http://blogs.windows.com/windo ws_phone/b/windowsphone/). e-solutions Launched last month in the UK, the US-backed A Local Menu concept says that it is now bringing a range of solutions to the UK catering industry, all having been developed to ensure that independent restaurants and their suppliers are better able to compete in the challenging

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Screen grabs from Domino’s latest Windows Phone-friendly pizza ordering app. foodservice arena.

Built with a £21m investment on a Coupa Software platform, this e-procurement system is a hub which hosts a range of solutions for the industry (www.almmarketplace.com).

Founded in 2006, Coupa Software is a provider of cloud-based spend optimisation software, and more than 300 customers in 40 countries are currently using the Coupa purchasing and procurement software to amplify their spend power and reduce costs (www.coupa.com).

Local Menu is an eprocurement platform designed to help bring major savings to independent eateries nationwide.

The platform will also form the foundation for a number of innovative launches over the coming months, say the company, all aimed at delivering fair and transparent pricing which will help suppliers and restaurants to thrive in increasingly challenging times.

With many suppliers to the restaurant trade struggling to find an efficient and cost effective route to market and the smaller independent eateries receiving disadvantaged prices compared to the larger chains, it is increasingly difficult for their businesses to thrive, feel Local Menu, with a viable solution having been long overdue.

“Our company is committed to driving change in this arena, reducing cost for suppliers and restaurants alike and simplifying the sourcing and purchase

process for eateries,” says Local Menu founder, Sue Baron.

“A Local Menu was born out of a passion to get a good deal for both restaurants and suppliers. It is often tough for independent restaurants to devote the time to product sourcing, negotiating prices and placing orders with multiple suppliers. The pricing they can secure is often dictated by purchased volumes which immediately cut their margins or make them uncompetitive.

“A Local Menu now offers a solution for the industry - a market leading e-procurement system used by companies such as Subway and McDonalds worldwide and now further developed, with a £21m investment, specifically for suppliers and independent eateries in the UK catering industry.”

When a restaurant registers with A Local Menu, they are then able to connect to the Marketplace - a fully searchable online e-procurement site giving them access to some of the best prices from hundreds of suppliers of staple products and services through to speciality local produce (suppliers include Brakes, Bookers and Nisbets, in addition to a broad range of regional and local suppliers).

Research currently shows that catering establishments will save between 16-27% on their current prices from this single price file, in addition to the time and resource required to manage the order process, claim Local Menu.

“With the Coupa eprocurement solution, eateries can secure great deals from an ever expanding number of suppliers, enabling them to shift their focus from procurement to the larger task at hand – getting more diners through the door and delivering a great experience,” explains Sue Baron.

Tony Dawson, vice president, alliances at Coupa, adds: “Ease of use is essential. Coupa’s familiar online shopping experience lets the eateries leverage the buying power of A Local Menu with minimal training. It’s a simple solution that saves both the restaurant and supplier both time and money - one of the many benefits that will be welcomed in the foodservice industry.”

Launched in 2012, mylivevision is another online business and profit manager for restaurants, pubs, bars, cafés and clubs, bringing together every component of a hospitality business - such as sales, purchases, cashing up, stock control, staff and rotas and more – for the very first time, claim its creators. This empowers hospitality professionals with a real-time, daily view of their business to improve profitability by streamlining management and operations by integrating and analysing daily hospitality information creating instant management accounts on a daily basis.

This cloud-based service accessible via the web - works in real-time to empower hospitality professionals with all of the information they need to run their business, and is not only accessed in one place, but available for immediate analysis, 24/7.

A recent study by mylivevision revealed that 30% of pubs, for instance, have no idea what their net or projected profitability is at all, while the other 70% are aware, at best, only on a monthly basis with nearly 30% of these checking on a quarterly or annual basis. This is due to the fact that systems like cashing-up, staff and rotas, purchases, are often disjointed and rarely available for comparison.

As a result, across the UK, hospitality professionals are suffering with these inefficient

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technology processes that do not encourage profitability and success, feel mylivevision. For example, for many in the hospitality industry, it is considered the norm to submit information to bookkeepers/accountants and then wait four to six weeks before reports and conclusion can be drawn – yet in the meantime, customers are still being served daily, in most establishments 365 days a year. “mylivehospitality gives hospitality owners and managers key business information on a daily basis so that they can instantly track the impact of supplier price increases, overstaffing, food wastage or any other factor that impacts profitability,” says Hannah McIntyre, the owner and developer of mylivevision who has worked in the hospitality industry herself for 15 years.

“Managers need information at their finger-tips to make informed decisions. Tracking key performance indicators such as ‘Average Spend Per Head’ or ‘Gross profit %’s’ is essential to successfully make a profit in this tough and challenging industry. If a supplier’s prices increase and margins are suddenly slashed, the business needs a tool to see that instantly, not in four to six weeks, to enable changes to be made.

That’s at the heart of mylivevision – instant business clarity for better performance. “mylivevision brings together all of the individual components of a hospitality business, including sales, purchases, banking, staff and rotas, stock control and many more, for the very first time. This empowers hospitality owners and managers to ascertain, in real-time, if a new menu is making the money it was hoped or if a new staff training initiative has increased average spend per head as predicted.”

Hospitality companies are no different to any other business and have statutory financial reporting they must complete.

Mylivehospitality, says that it can help to streamline this process and reduce the need for the repetition of data entry as all the reporting is completed in one place, online via the web. Thus, as a result, it provides a complete business overview, today, that will

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streamline management performance to improve business profitability, all while saving the owner or manager’s time.

Hospitality professionals must report daily financials for their own benefit as well as legal compliance for HMRC and Companies House. Therefore, mylivehospitality simplifies and saves time by tracking all this information in one place to give owners and managers a 360 degree business overview – today, as opposed to four to six weeks later when the reports are back from their bookkeeper or accountant (for example, mylivehospitality’s ‘Amazing Dashboard’ does all the hard work for managers as it automatically analyses and compares every element of the business to track net profitability, in just one click). mylivevision is a cloud-based service, accessible 24/7 via the web which also means that there is no additional software or hardware to purchase or download, point out the company (it is available online for single or multi-sites via a monthly contract and costs from £75 per month - single site, single user).

Help is at hand A free online Central Billing System from Pelican Buying Company is set to alleviate the time and resource burden of invoicing for operators, enabling them to focus on servicing their customers, claim the company.

Launched to help manage supplier invoices more effectively, the advanced, secure, web-based application also delivers an average of one per cent cash back bonus for customers, calculate Pelican (www.pelicanbuying.co.uk).

With over 22 years’ experience in the marketplace, Pelican Buying Company’s Surrey-based team today currently manages over £100m of payments for thousands of customers across the UK, and now Pelican customers will continue to receive invoices from suppliers but also receive a monthly statement from them, consolidating them all into one.

Should any problems arise, Pelican’s Central Billing department will then speak to the supplier on the customer’s behalf

and hold payment until the issue is resolved, say the company.

User-friendly in design, the Central Billing System enables customers 24/7 access to their Central Billing statements and supplier invoices. The service also has the ability to provide detailed management reports that recognise purchasing trends, including buying patterns, and manage budgets against actual purchasing spend.

“We’ve spoken to a lot of our customers and this sophisticated new system will address their needs, making time-consuming invoice management a thing of the past,” says Shabaz Mohammed, managing director of Pelican Buying Company.“A lot of consideration and work has gone into the system to ensure it enhances our clients’ day-to-day operations, whilst greatly optimising their purchasing experience.”

Already used by thousands of restaurants around the world, claim its makers, Namtuk, Automatic Email Manager is a piece of software that enables operators to print, save, transfer, or even answer their on-line bookings and orders by allocating the right information to the right place automatically (it can be trialled online at www.automaticemail-manager.com/).

“Automatic Email Manager manages requests received by email, making it ideal for restaurants, hotels, bars and take away food services, as it frees the staff from the email management and dispatches requests automatically to the right persons,” says Jean-Claude Quénaon, the founder of Namtuk “A good example is a pizzeria which produces take away food.

The order goes out directly on the

printer set in the kitchen, the confirmation email is automatically sent to the customers having ordered on-line.

The cooks concentrate on their job, the client has the immediate confirmation that his order is taken into account and knows the delivery time: just simple and efficient!”

With unlimited configuration options and hourly programming of tasks to accomplish, Automatic Email Manager answers all needs and can fit within any organisation and particular condition, claim Namtuk. It is compatible with all messaging systems and can also work in complete autonomy, 24/7 (it is available for $79 for computer/server download and for an unlimited number of user accounts). It is also available as a white-label product (currently sold under different labels in Australia, Belgium and Canada), including the product customisation according to the specific needs.

Created in 2004, Namtuk is a software development company specialising in solutions for Windows for developers and applications for final users. It edited the first version of Automatic Email Manager in 2006 and over a few years, the software has become adopted by more than 5,000 professional users around the world. Automatic Email Manager #5 version allows automatic treatment of emails according to rules defined by the user, and is unique on the market, say the company, as it is the only solution completely compatible with all messaging systems on the market.

Global Payments has launched Global PAY Now, a new terminal for restaurants and pubs which will allow diners to settle their bill in under a minute, say the

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technology US duo create their own pizza ordering app One afternoon when Carlo Espinoza and Greg Santos found themselves suddenly craving pizza, but not wanting to pick up the ‘phone because, as they described it,“we were lazy,” they began clicking around on US takeaway sites such as GrubHub and Seamless, and after several minutes of looking through countless restaurants, decided that there must be an easier way to order up some pizza.

As a result, they began to start talking about an ‘Uber’ pizza ordering application, whereby you could simply press a button and your pizza would be ordered! After a few weeks of joking around about their ‘Uber pizza app’, they decided to think about their concept a bit more seriously, researching the pizza industry and how pizzas are ordered.

They came across a wealth of information about the $30 billion industry in the US, and how more orders were now being placed digitally (for example, Domino’s alone there reached the $1 billion mark in digital sales between April 2011 and 2012).

So, they created SpeedSlice, an app that allows users to place a pizza order in seconds, and which, they say, focuses on local chains and ‘mom and pop’ pizza shops that don’t have the budget of a national brand for digital services. company. The terminal is designed to be carried by waiting staff at all times, which allows them to produce a bill instantly upon request. This will significantly cut down the length of time customers typically have to wait to pay their bill, improving their overall experience while enabling establishments to turn their tables much more quickly during busy periods.

The handheld terminal, designed in partnership with payment solutions provider Ingenico, prints a full itemised bill for the customer to view at the table, as well as processing the card payment via Chip and PIN. The card remains in the

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“I just want to pop an app, and within 30 seconds, I want [to know] a pizza [is] coming my way,” said Carlo Espinoza, explaining SpeedSlice from the hungry pizza consumer’s perspective.

Currently, the company says that it is operating through Ordr.in, which acts as an aggregator of 400 restaurants in the greater Boston area, and they are using it just to prove their model works, reports Carlo Espinoza, but longer term, they would like to establish a network of local pizza places who would use their service.

“We have a huge opportunity with smaller, local chains who can’t tap in to the trend of people placing orders through their mobile devices,” adds Carlo Espinoza.

Speed Slice will be available as a mobile app in both the iTunes store and Google Play within the coming months, say the duo, and down the road, the team also hopes to increase the customisation of pizza orders to include things like half-pizza toppings, and introduce features such as ‘gift a pizza’ (where users can send a friend money that can be used towards their own pizza order through the app).

“Our goal is to create a network of pizza lovers and remove any friction associated with ordering a pizza!” enthuses Carlo Espinoza. customer’s sight throughout the full transaction, helping to improve security and minimise fraud.

It works by synchronising with the main point of sale (POS) system through which orders are placed to generate the bill, either via a wireless internet or Bluetooth connection. This means there is no room for human error in transferring across the total amount due, so customers cannot be over or under charged, and it eliminates the risk of staff fraud from manually entering a different amount to that shown on the bill, say Global Payments. The terminals also come with an optional “split bill” functionality

which allows diners to share payment between them, including gratuities.

“We are always investing in new payments technology to help our customers run their businesses more effectively. The introduction of Global PAY Now has the potential to completely revolutionise customer experiences, as well as increasing revenues by allowing restaurants to serve a greater number of diners in a shorter space of time,” says Chris Davies, managing director of Global Payments.

Faster and safer Call Systems Technology (CST, www.call-systems.com) has recently launched TableScout, a staff paging system designed to turn tables faster, increase staff efficiency and help serve more customers, say its makers.

TableScout is suitable for large restaurants and especially those on different levels, where it’s often difficult to monitor effectively all parts of the dining area.

TableScout pagers can be used standalone or integrated with table management software, and staff using the TableScout pagers can receive updates about which tables are free or which customers require serving (they can also use the pager to transmit information on the tables that need clearing).

Compact and lightweight, TableScout pagers weigh in at 113g, and are supplied with a belt

clip so they can be worn by staff throughout a shift. They are also built to withstand harsh restaurant environments and feature a waterresistant keypad overlay and backlit LED screen for viewing in low ambient lighting. With rounded corners and durable construction, the pagers can also tolerate careless handling, say CST. Staff can use TableScout pagers to update the table management software system and to check on table status without having to walk back to the central display.

This makes communication between staff and floor managers quicker, CST have found, and saves on labour costs, improving customer service and increasing staff efficiency.

TableScout consists of the pagers, a serial transceiver and a six-position charger. The pagers recharge in four hours by plugging into an electrical socket.

Smart charging protects the battery, extending its life to between three and five years.

Everybody who operates a food handling business knows, of course, that they must have a food safety management system in place by law, but for those businesses without a qualified or trained member of staff to put one in place, this can be expensive, confusing and timeconsuming.

However, help is now at hand thanks to a new online resource at www.thefoodsafetysystem.com, which has been created to

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113 years experience!

Placed perfectly, in the palm of your hands website www.doughballpizza.co.uk email: info@doughballpizza.co.uk call:01706831159

www.papa.org.uk

Pizza has been a culinary dish of Italy since the middle ages.

It is the heart and soul of the Italian nation. Many have tried to master the art of pizza perfection but the traditional methods of its dough preparation has been neglected over time therefore affecting the quality and taste of “true” Italian pizza.

Thankfully the Pillitteri family have consistently kept with using its traditional methods since the 1990’s and has past the art of dough

preparation through its many generations.

To this day the remaining members of the Pillitteri family take great pride in producing pizza dough balls using its ancestors methods in the art of pizza perfection.

The Pillitteri’s have now introduced the company “Dough ball pizzeria” it is a proud family run business living by its philosophy “perfect dough = perfect pizza” first time, EVERYTIME!!!....

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technology provide any food business with an affordable step-by-step system that will ensure it meets food hygiene regulations and complies with the law. The system is designed to be straightforward and accessible to all regardless of knowledge, skill level or experience and involves six simple steps, say its creators.

First, the user enters details about their business and then, by simply selecting the relevant food handling processes involved from an on screen menu, the system creates site specific safety charts that identify the risks, hazards and the appropriate monitoring methods. This in turn generates rules and procedures that are unique to the business and subsequently creates record forms and documents that help to ensure the correct rules and procedures are followed within the business. Finally, the system sets up a future review date so that any changes to the way the business handles food can be applied and the procedures updated. Once complete the entire system is stored in the user’s own online library for easy access.

The cost of using this particular system is £1 per day for a single

site and 28p per day for each additional site. In addition, users get access to full customer support, together with access to a wide range of resources and live chat with a food safety specialist at no extra cost.

Customer pagers Over the last three decades, Bibis Italianissimo - a bustling Italian restaurant in the heart of Leeds has become a popular dining and show time destination, offering good food and drinks served with friendly Italian hospitality giving a taste of Italy with a Yorkshire twist.

With over 300 covers and 120 tables, Angelo Plazzi, restaurant general manager, has his work cut out to make sure that all the guests are seated as soon as their table is ready. In order to manage this efficiently and prevent queues, Bibis uses forty customer pagers supplied by Call Systems Technology (CST, www.callsystems.com).

“When diners arrive at Bibis they are greeted at the hostess desk and if there is not a vacant table they are handed a pager.

They are then free to go to the bar and enjoy a relaxing drink while they wait. Once their table is ready, they are paged to return to the hostess desk to be seated,” says Angelo Plazzi.

“CST has put together a great system for us. This is such a big place, without the pagers it was time-consuming to find customers once they’d gone to the bar. We’re confident now that everyone is seated quickly and in turn.”

The system is simple to use. All the pagers are numbered and once one is handed out to a

customer, the party size is logged down so the appropriate table is allocated. As soon the table is clear the customer is bleeped to let them know they can be seated.

The pager can then be used again.

“The main benefit is that we offer good service that satisfies our customers. Once they have a pager customers can be certain that they will be called in turn and that there’s no risk of someone else jumping in and taking their table,” explains Angelo Plazzi.“At the end of the day we pop them back into their charging station and they are ready to be used again the next day. They are reliable, cost effective and easy to use.”

Large scale ‘joined-up’ business communications A workplace drinks provider – Eden Springs – has been cited as a ‘best practice’ example of Microsoft® Lync™ platform following its involvement in Microsoft’s Technology Adoption Program (TAP), which supports early adopters to harness the power of new communication systems in a commercial environment.

Adopting Microsoft’s® Lync™ technology has provided Eden with a seamless, unified communications platform which has transformed the way the company communicates internally, as well as how it engages with its global customer base comprising over 500,000 office locations. The single platform approach has transformed the ways Eden engages with customers by updating them on delivery times and responding rapidly to order queries. It has also brought about significant efficiencies in terms of time and cost savings, say the company.

After achieving strong organic growth in 2012, and as part of its long-term workplace drinks market strategy, Eden’s focus was to unlock the customer service potential within its 2,300 employees working across Europe.

Using new technology, it realised that it had a huge opportunity to improve communications among its team members

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across borders who conduct regular conference calls, customer service initiatives and internal customer updates. At the same time, the business wanted to elevate service levels to customers, including optimal call quality during service calls.

As a result, Eden Springs was selected by Microsoft® to participate in its TAP process, using Lync™, the communications platform that integrates with Microsoft Office and other existing tools and systems (Lync™ enables users to connect and collaborate via systems such as instant messaging, advanced conference calling and Skype using a wide range of media devices).

In addition, Lync™ can enhance or replace existing legacy IP PBX telecoms systems, which are commonly used by many SMEs and multinational businesses. The adoption of Lync™ has led to improved productivity, increased mobility, and faster responses for customers, partners, and employees for Eden over a 12 month period, report the company. Other benefits included smoother deployment, easier management, and lower cost of ownership of a communications platform.

As part of Eden’s participation in TAP, the company was also able to test Lync™optimised audio USB equipment. Although

Eden did not use headsets before the Microsoft relationship, it opted to test Jabra headsets across the organisation as a way to improve communications between customers and other employees. Eden also selected Jabra because of the wide selection of Lync™optimised devices Jabra has to offer.

Raanan Zilberman, CEO at Eden Springs, commented:“Being a global organisation presents us with a unique set of communications challenges across borders with many customer locations. We’re always open to new, better ways of engaging with our customers, and working with Microsoft on this project made a great deal of sense to us. While we connect with around 600,000 customers across Europe every month regarding our water solutions, the figure for our coffee customers is currently at 80,000 and rising.

Clearly for us, call quality and maximising business efficiencies plays a key role in enhancing customer communications and overall service levels.”

"We accepted the TAP offer from Microsoft® as we were confident of the business benefits this association would bring. This has already resulted in improved inter-office communications and enhanced customer service levels.”

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Cucina Asellina Cucina Asellina has been opened by the One Group as part of the glamorous development of the luxury ME London (Melia hotel), located just across from the Waldorf Hilton Hotel at the former Marconi House building in the Strand, London, where the BBC first set up office.

In the run up to its opening night that included a visit from Nancy Dell’Olio, Pizza Pasta & Italian Food magazine found out more.

Upscale hospitality The One Group describes itself as an “upscale hospitality company that merges extraordinary cuisine, service and ambiance to create highenergy dining and nightlife experiences for guests”. No pressure, then. However, if there is one thing that the One Group has become highly skilled at, it is supplying hospitality solutions to a range of high-end hotels and other resorts. It is very experienced when it comes to operating a series of restaurants, lounges and bars on behalf of their owners, deploying a level of attention to detail and staff training that upon first sight, might not be fully realised by customers due to the seamless look and feel that’s generated and experienced.

Primarily, the One Group operates 30 plus outlets in the US - New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Atlanta – and now London, where, say the British Segal family who are behind this hospitality business empire with a forty year background in the sector, they “have come home to”,and where they plan further expansion. They also have their eye on 38

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opportunities at a hotel in Vienna, and the city of Moscow - large cities where there’s opportunity to be different.

“If you believe in your product, then you are not scared of the competition,” says Sharon Segal.“The challenge then is to grow, and give the best to the customer. Recessionary times mean that good deals can be done. We’ve learned from previous generations that they are the hardest, but best, times in which to grow a business. It’s possible to get spaces at reduced rates, and we have noticed that people still want to treat themselves, but stay in one venue.”

The One Group’s signature, corporate brands are the gourmet steakhouse, STK, as well as the Italian restaurant, Asellina (Cucina Asellina’s sister restaurant, Ristorante Asellina, can be found in New York), and in London the first Cucina Asellina outside of the US can now be found at ground level in the Foster & Partners-designed ME London hotel in addition to a variety of other stylish One Group-run eating establishments that are also located there (STK London, the Radio Rooftop Bar and the Marconi lounge).

New York-style, this particular area of London itself has already become known as Mid-Town, lying as it does in Holborn, between the West End and the City, and Cucina Asellina is certainly continuing with this trend by mirroring the DNA design elements of its New York city counterpart.

A story All restaurants have a story, says the One Group’s Sharon Segal, and Cucina Asellina is no exception.

This latest addition to an already very high standard and competitive number of Italian restaurants in the capital which Sharon Segal describes as being a “highly competitive business landscape in London”,takes its inspiration from ancient history in fact - a very successful and well known, hospitable tavern come coffee shop in Pompeii, called Asellina Taverna that was reputedly owned and run by a female pioneer of Roman hospitality called Asellina.

Thus, the emphasis is on simple, rustic and April 2013

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typical Italian fare in a welcoming environment designed to make people feel comfortable and at ease, whether they’ve stopped by for lunch or dinner, or even just a drink and some banter at the bar.

Despite the nod to ancient history, however, the nature of this restaurant’s design itself is very contemporary indeed, but pleasantly so.

Rich, earthy tones of copper lights and terracotta walls predominate alongside the use of metal, stone, brick, concrete and wood (the thinking behind this being that such simplicity of building materials is also reflected in the simple and fresh nature of the Italian cuisine being served). There is little mention of Asellina herself, however, apart from in the restaurant’s name and logo which features a stylised woman’s head.

A range of convivial seating options include intimately quartered high top tables, bar seating and banquettes to “encourage interaction and harness the energy of the South”, asserts the hotel’s own web description of itself. The restaurant has been designed to be femalefriendly, point out the One Group, sagely adding that “where the girls go, the guys will follow”.

The cuisine This latest Cucina Asellina is blessed with a small, but committed and enthusiastic team of well qualified Italian chefs, many of whom have worked at other One Group establishments.

They all pride themselves on their attention to detail, knowledge of Italian cuisine, as well their focus on quality so as to be able to do justice to a competitively-priced menu that still delivers the ‘wow’ factor in terms of flavour combinations and dishes that help to differentiate Cucina Asellina from elsewhere.

Four weeks’‘menu training’ is spent learning about it, and tasting it, so as to understand it fully.

When it comes to sourcing the necessary ingredients, sometimes the quality to be found here can be better than in Italy, they report, with the One Group’s Sharon Segal feeling that the standards of cuisine in London are the “best in the world”.

It is also important not to adjust to local conditions, feel Cucina Asellina’s team of chefs, but rather stick to the original, traditional recipe!

Customers are more knowledgeable than ever before, these days, they observe, and expect greater quality and greater choice. Flavour and simplicity, however, are the keys to success in meeting these demands.

The all-day dining menu has been created by executive chef, Marco Porceddu, and is full of classic Italian dishes that are available for breakfast, lunch, dinner, with the last food order being taken at midnight.

For the most part, the menu is focused on flatbreads baked in

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and served from an authentic, wood-burning oven, as well as tasty, simple antipasti plates and traditional pizzas. There is also a celebration of a range of fresh, homemade pastas that are produced on site daily, a small dedicated team having been trained to use the pasta-making machine and who aim for consistency so as to maintain the high quality levels.

Cucina Asellina’s notable signature dishes include wild mushroom, fontina and spring onion pizza(£10), old-fashioned ‘square’ spaghetti with pomodoro, fresh basil and olive oil (£9) and a fashionable saffron strozzapreti (“priest-choker” - one of many legends connected to this pasta suggests that gluttonous priests were so taken by these long, turned strips of savoury pasta that they ate them too quickly and choked themselves, sometimes to death) with prawns, spinach and butternut squash (£14).

In particular, in must be said that their menu showcases the styles of Italian foods of the moment - antipasti and cichetti. Not least, the green, stuffed cerignola olives with roasted veal, parmigiano and semolina crust (£7). Platters of classic and freshly cut Italian speciality meats are served alongside flavour-enhancing accompaniments, such as the intriguing combination of lardo and

truffle-infused honey. Classic Italian desserts include the traditional tiramisu, affogato and gelato, as well re-invented dishes such as passion fruit cheesecake with raspberry ice cream.

The wine list includes a robust selection of over 50 wines from various regions of Italy, as well as international offerings. The cocktail menu includes classics such as the Negroni, Bellini and contemporary creations including the ‘Contessa’ made with Hennessy Black Cognac, Crème de Cacao and orange bitters.

Cucina Asellina also serves refreshing specialist beers including the Menabrea and La Rossa Moretti.

Typically, lunch ranges from £8 to £15, and dinner from £12 to £30, and the venue has capacity for 90 guests.

And what might Pompeii’s hospitality ‘guru’ from ancient times think of her sophisticated namesake? Quite simply, a friendly and hospitable place in which to enjoy home-cooked food, feels Sharon Segal.

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vat

The case for a cut A campaign to cut VAT from 20% to 5% in the hospitality sector which has already achieved major success across Europe - is now aiming for similar here. A strong and viable case is being been put forward by the campaign’s figurehead - the legendary Jacques Borel - who claims that there are a compelling range of benefits to be hand (job creation, increased footfall and occupancy rates, and the generation of additional tax revenues elsewhere to offset the initial cost of such a cut to the Exchequer). If successful, this cut could be implemented here by the Treasury in 2014.

Seasoned campaigner Jacques Borel has been on a mission to cut VAT since the early 1960s when, as an entrepreneur in the hospitality sector in his native France, he started campaigning for French hospitality businesses to be included in a VAT system as opposed to a US-style sales tax approach (this type of levying having prevented him and others from reclaiming any VAT on investments made).

By 1967, he had been successful in achieving this, securing a reduction of the rate from 15% to 6% for hotels and canteens there.

However, it wasn’t until 2009 – when he was successful in bringing together 27 of the EU’s finance ministers to vote in Brussels for the possibility of allowing all EU member countries to be able to decrease their VAT rate for their own restaurant services - that he was instrumental in bringing about a similar cut that also applied to cafés and restaurants in France (even though the French finance minister of the time had confidently predicted to him that the cut for cafés and restaurants would follow on in “less than five years”).

In the event, it took Jacques Borel 42 years of persistent campaigning to widen the application of the cut to the rest of France’s hospitality sector, with July 2009 seeing France decrease its VAT from 19.6% to 5.5% for restaurant services (as a result of his campaigning, 2009 also saw the Belgian and German parliaments vote in favour various cuts in their hospitality-related VAT). This long wait, however, is now the very

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reason why he is urging the UK to make sure that it campaigns for a cut that applies to all UK hospitality businesses ‘in one fell swoop’.

Critically, Jacques Borel is keen to point out via his company’s (the VAT Club, www.vatclub.co.uk) in depth industry reports and campaign-related literature, he feels that the time is also now right in the UK to achieve this cut, even though our present coalition that is apparently focused on decreasing public spending has appeared resistant to the idea.

With an eye on what looks set to be a tough UK election for all parties in 2015, Jacques Borel speculates that our government will ultimately be judged by its people on the current state of the economy and in particular the unemployment level, and so it will be eager to deploy businessenhancing schemes as well as employment-boosting opportunities to help win votes.

And a proposed VAT cut here in the hospitality sector from 20% to 5% would deliver on all counts, asserts Jacques Borel.

Mention of such a cut has already featured in the Treasury’s 2013 Pre-Budget Report and most recently Jacques Borel had a meeting with the Treasury’s VAT chief, Stephanie Farr, towards the end of last year to outline his proposals and thinking.

The benefits to be had For a brief period in 2010/11, in the wake of the financial crisis and the drying up of credit and consumer willingness to go out and spend money, VAT in the UK was cut from an already high 20% to 17.5% in an

effort to help boost business in all quarters. With the benefit of hindsight, many would argue that this was clearly too insufficient and temporary a cut, and that the benefits it created were minimal and too short-lived, which is why a more dramatic cut focused on the hospitality sector in particular is felt by many to have far greater ‘knockon’ potential.

In applying its own cut, France, it is claimed, actually saw a £500 million windfall for the state due to the additional tax revenues created by boosted spending in the sector, and it is proposed that very similar would happen here too. At the same time, and appealingly to what in many cases are now extremely hard-pressed consumers here, it is worth noting that restaurant and café prices subsequently fell by just over 2% in France, helping to encourage more frequent spending.

Early on after the VAT cut in France between June 2009 and June 2010, 26,700 additional jobs were quickly created in the restaurant sector - a bigger than anticipated increase of +4% as opposed to +3.2%, and indicating that job creation in the sector is likely to be faster as a result of the VAT cut (even more when France emerges from recession), predicts Jacques Borel’s VAT Club.

So what are the numbers in the case of Britain? The cost of reducing VAT to 5% in the sector would be between £1.5 and £3.4 billion (towards the higher end if alcoholic beverages are included), calculates Jacques Borel’s VAT Club.

The number of jobs that could potentially be created could be in

the region of 670,000 if alcohol is included, it is claimed (the fiscal cost per new job in the sector likely to be what is felt by many to be a manageable band of £6,900 to £16,300).

In 2008, the British Hospitality Association estimated that there were 1, 983,100 existing full and part-time jobs in the hospitality sector, in particular offering opportunities to female, the young, unskilled, disadvantaged and parttime workers. For many, it is a noticeable ‘first step’ on their career ladder, indicating that this sector is a vital and more active part of the overall economy than many people might give it credit for.

Other, less tangible and obvious, but no less important, benefits, feel the VAT Club, could include a rise in the number of businesses created (many catering enterprises being easy to set up, and starting off small, it’s argued), less incentive for small hospitality businesses to remain below the VAT threshold of £71,000, less under-reporting of cash receipts and thus more tax revenues (the ‘shadow economy’ is estimated to be at a level of 12% of the total UK economy, according to Austria’s University of Linz), as well as a reduction of the UK’s tourism deficit (£20.5 billion in 2008, and on the rise as long as tourists keep choosing to go elsewhere due to our prohibitive pricing).

The other ‘disparity’ that Jacques Borel is keen for industry and the public at large to be more aware of in the UK right now is the fact that unlike their catering business counterparts, supermarkets can sell many ‘rival’ food and alcoholic drink products

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vat free of any VAT, making for an extremely un-level playing field, he argues.

Jacques Borel goes further, observing that in his opinion it is the very fact that supermarkets here can sell alcohol so cheaply that is serving to place an unhealthy strain on our healthcare resources due to the unprecedented rise in alcoholrelated illnesses. Supermarkets selling alcoholic beverages at a loss finance it by the zero VAT rates that apply to their food products, he claims, whereas providing a more equal tax regime for drinks served with meals in a supervised and responsible environment such as pubs and restaurants would assist in encouraging healthier drinking habits.

UK campaign Over the past couple of years here, Jacques Borel’s VAT Club has been garnering considerable support in the media, from MPs, trade organisations and the hospitality industry itself, such as the backing from many pub companies.

JD Wetherspoon’s Tim Martin has already expressed the opinion that the pub sector of the hospitality industry at large, for instance, will not be able to continue in the long term by continually having to pay such a high rate of tax if it is to remain competitive and affordable for the average British consumer.

Jacques Borel is often in the UK, and has plans to commence discussions with our government ministers this month. With a good understanding of how the market is here, if not a fondness for the UK and its cultural and social issues - of how important the pub is, for example - as well as the high cost of restaurant food when compared to other countries in the EU, he and his team have been arming themselves with the necessary facts and figures to back their campaign for a cut. Observing that British pubs are predominantly ‘wet’ trade, for example, he understandably feels that a VAT cut for drinks retailed in the pub environment would be just one instance of how to potentially set about re-igniting a currently struggling and threatened sector.

Above all, however, he is keen to point out that persistence will be the key, with many (most likely,

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repeated) visits to civil servants, government aides and MPs ahead before anything concrete can be achieved, which is why the facts and figures concerning the benefits of the proposed cut are being communicated so widely to all at this stage and additional lobbying campaigns begun.

When the VAT rate went back up to 20%, for example, Caterer and Hotelkeeper launched its Slash VAT, Boost Business campaign which has been lobbying the government to reduce the VAT rate.

At the time of going to press, we can report that PAPA’s director, Jim Winship, has met and had discussions with Jacques Borel as to the role it can play in this campaign.

If all goes well, Jacques Borel is aiming for a VAT announcement to be made by the UK government in its pre-Budget report due out in October/November this year, followed by enactment in the 2014 April budget.

Commitment required At the same time, however, for the success of a VAT cut to be fully realised, commitment is ultimately required from the industry itself. In other words, cost savings need to be passed on to consumers. Only by doing this will a greater number of consumers be fostered and their spend boosted, leading to more demand and the potential for future job creation, as well as new tax revenues for the government from the additional trade generated.

This is why Jacques Borel’s VAT Club has been ‘signing up’ major companies such as the pub chains (Wetherspoon, Arkell’s and Punch Taverns. for example), and other well-known brands and organisations (including Pret A Manger, Pizza Hut and Prezzo), who say that they are all committed to making the necessary investment to the whole process.

Jacques Borel has already revealed that members of his VAT Club would be prepared to consign 60% of any reduction towards price decreases for customers, with 20% to be directed towards refurbishment and expansion plans.

Cut would be welcomed “A cut in VAT would be most welcome, because in the last couple of years we have had to cope with price rises in raw materials, as well as an increase in fuel duty which in turn has increased transportation costs. Not to mention the VAT increase to 20%,” says Parviz Hayati of Red Tomato, a pizza takeaway outlet in Doncaster.

“The hospitality sector has always been one of the main parts of our economy and employs thousands of people. It makes a significant contribution to the UK economy by having a knock-on effect on other industry sectors.

“I can only speak on behalf of small businesses who are closing down every week due to the fact that customers are not coming

The Irish example In Ireland, in 2011, in the wake of a successful campaign there, the VAT rate that applied to hospitality and tourism businesses there was lowered from 13.5% to 9%, and it is claimed that as a direct result occupancy rates for hotels increased, additional jobs were created and business was generally up. At the same time, as with some other EU countries, Ireland also saw the abolition of its Joint Labour Committee Employment Regulation Orders which effectively meant that restaurants and hotels were no longer obliged to pay over the

national minimum wage for their staff.

A subsequent survey carried out by Ireland’s Restaurants Association suggests that hospitality businesses were very quick to pass on the benefits of the VAT cut to their customers, with some 94% reporting that they had indeed passed on the saving, and 44.8% noticing an uplift in their business’s turnover compared to the previous year’s trading. Thus, there is a feeling in Ireland on both the part of business and their customers, that good, affordable but still profitable, value is now on offer in the hospitality sector.

through their doors due to their increased lack of spending powers.

In recent years, we have noticed a considerable shift in the spending habits of our customers. Today, our customer’s average visit is every three weeks in contrast to a few years ago when it was every ten days or so.

“Small businesses probably make more contribution to the Chancellor's coffers than large businesses who have clever accountants to draw up a tax avoidance schemes! At the present, like most other small businesses, we have had to shelve any plans for expansion or employ more staff. With the reputation we have built up, there is potential for us to open another shop, which would employ 15-20 staff. We can't because our net profit is reduced by overall high running costs, namely raw materials, gas and electric. As a result, the bank is not keen to lend, or will demand higher interest rates, because they class it as high risk.”

Domenico Crolla of Bella Napoli in Glasgow admits that he would struggle to give the government a convincing reason for them to give up a large income that they have become accustomed to for so long, but observes that a big percentage of our population is not eating properly, not through lack of education but because they can’t afford it.“The recent horse scandal has opened up the debate for the price of food. The demand for ever cheaper foods opened the ‘stable’ door to inferior ingredients entering the domestic food chain,” he says.

“A walk through a frozen food retailer like Farm Foods or Iceland will alarm most people as to what we as a nation are eating. And restaurants or takeaways that are able to offer better or fresher foods cannot compete because of the VAT element.

“Assuming that a reduced VAT level allowed for a reduction in food prices, the health level of our population should benefit. This would be mirrored in reductions on our health service.”

And commenting for Pizza, Pasta and Italian Food magazine on the proposed VAT changes, a spokesperson for Domino’s Pizza added:“We welcome any changes which level out the playing field within our industry.”

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Sustainable

packaging The knock-on effect of new regulation, as well as a desire on the part of consumers to be seen to be more environmentally-friendly, means that operators are increasingly looking for sustainable packaging products to cater for their ‘to go’ customers.

Regulatory requirements The European Timber Regulation No 995/2010 - making it an offence to place illegally harvested timber or timber products on the EU market – could have major implications for takeaway and delivery sector operators failing to pay close attention to the nature, and origins, of the packaging they buy in. However, some packaging companies have already been communicating this message, as well as developing their products accordingly.

“More and more foodservice operators are concerned about their impact on the environment, and so look to offer customers an ethical food and beverage service. The introduction of the European Timber Regulation No 995/2010 on 3 March now makes it an offence to place illegally harvested timber or timber products on the EU market – so being able to provide customers with sustainably sourced packaging is now more important than ever,” points out John Young, UK Foodservice sales and marketing director at Huhtamaki UK Ltd. Huhtamaki UK (www.foodservice.huhtamaki.co.uk) has created an informative guide to help customers understand this particular regulation and what they need to do to make sure their business complies, and, to stay ahead of the game, say that they have already ensured that all of their paperboard

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products are made from 100% PEFC approved materials (the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification aims to promote sustainable development in forest management and assurance that the material in the final product can be traced back to a sustainable source managed with due respect for environmental, economic and social standards).

The paper-based packaging company, Smurfit Kappa UK, has already been recognised for its outstanding contribution to raising awareness of responsible forestry following its recent nationwide support for the Forest Stewardship Council’s® international awareness day, FSC Friday (held on 28th September 2012). Executive director of FSC UK, Charles Thwaites MBE, presented the award in February to Mike Fadden, Smurfit Kappa’s regional director east, who received it on behalf of Smurfit

Kappa UK. ‘FSC Friday’ is a celebration of the world's forests and helps to raise awareness of the importance of managing these forests responsibly, as well as the role that FSC plays in this, and the award is presented to organisations that have worked, through a particular project or activity, to promote responsible forestry within the UK (WWF and the Royal Mail both won FSC awards in 2011, and Marks & Spencer were recognised for their achievement last year).

Smurfit Kappa UK is a manufacturer of paper-based packaging, providing innovative solutions in all sizes, shapes, finishes and strengths. Its network of facilities offers an integrated packaging solution to all products and market sectors, delivering innovative and cost effective packaging solutions (they are FSC certified, FSCC084464).

It was chosen to receive the FSC UK award in recognition of the educational and awareness raising activities it undertook, and was commended for its success in reaching out to local communities and helping to spread the FSC message with imagination and enthusiasm. A number of Smurfit Kappa sites took part in celebrating FSC Friday, many working with local schools and communities to educate the children on the importance of responsible forestry. Internal communications and activities were also organised in order to spread the message to the staff.

Sustainable options Huhtamaki’s established BioWare range, for example, is just one collection of packaging solutions that has already become very popular as it comprises a comprehensive selection of high quality foodservice disposables (single-use cups, tumblers, food containers, Strongholder carry trays, cutlery and Chinet® plates and bowls) that are biodegradable, making it a good choice for caterers concerned about their impact on the environment.

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packaging

Huhtamaki’s Enjoy cup range denotes the PEFC approval.

Available in a choice of sizes, the BioWare cups also feature the PEFC logo as part of their design – the certification and logo that provides assurance that the product comes from sustainable, legal and traceable sources – which identifies Huhtamaki UK’s unique certification number so that customers know that the product they are using is PEFC certified.

These cups are available in a stylish stock design and can also be custom-printed to feature customers own branding, say the company. In addition, the PEFC logo can also be incorporated into their own artwork to support CSR policies and show customers that the products they are being served comply with the highest standards of forestry practice.

“Innovation is at the very heart of our business and we seek to offer products that are the best they can be - both now and in the future. We are always on the lookout for further ways to fine-tune each and every one of the 400 plus items in our extended product range with performance, look and competitive pricing all very

www.papa.org.uk

carefully considered,” says Rachael Sawtell, marketing director for Planglow (www.planglow.com).

“Over the past twelve months we have introduced a pioneering plant-based bio laminate to as many of our packaging items as is appropriate - the latest development in the on-going evolution of our products. We are the only company currently offering items lined with this marvellous material which enhances overall performance and structure, as well as potentially extending the shelf life of your sandwiches and wraps!

“Unlike many of our competitors we have developed a range that is home compostable from lids to laminates, windows to wedges and everything in between. So it is not dependant on the waste management schemes available in any one area. Nor is it vulnerable to contamination by food or mixed materials - either of which can condemn recyclables to landfill.

“In our experience quality yet cost effective - as well as versatile - products have been amongst our best sellers. And in 2012, one in eight of our total packaging sales (12%) was a salad pack product, suggesting a shift in the market towards healthier foods.

“Food trends strongly influence sales and we have developed a number of products - as well as an entire new range to support these.”

“Increasing numbers of outlets and their customers have switched on to environmentally friendly products in recent years and, in many cases, consumers now expect it. They offer several advantages over and above noneco counterparts,” says Rachel Sawtell.

“Caterers may, for example, wish to underline their own CSR policies or perhaps food provenance with the appropriate packaging. For some however, it can be a lifestyle, aesthetic or perhaps business decision (loaning a competitive or financial advantage), as much as a social or ecological one.

“Most food providers are now governed by strict targets for reducing waste and improving

energy efficiency and will therefore be at a considerable advantage when trying to win or even sustain contracts if they can deliver the greenest offering.”

Reducing waste and improving energy efficiency, of course, also provides another key advantage: saving money. A point reflected by the Gram Green Paper 2012, which reported that 40% of professionals in the foodservice industry felt adopting greener policies offered a combination of saving money as well as feeling good. And fifty-nine per cent of those surveyed cited eco packaging as the easiest policy to implement.

So whilst reducing the harmful impact of your facility on the environment may be the most obvious - or offered advantage to using environmentally friendly products, if considering going green, it’s worth noting this can dramatically up your USP and help to win business too. Not to mention reducing wastage and energy usage which increases efficiency and lowers costs overall.

“Using environmentally friendly products in the place of standard disposables will help businesses to meet waste packaging regulations and reduce the negative impact the day-to-day running of their company may have on the environment. That’s great news for the environment and it means that those businesses have a great story to tell their customers,” agrees Geoff Page, managing director of packaging company, Cap-It-All (www.cap-itall.co.uk).

“We are dedicated to offering our customers a one-stop shop for disposables and our range includes cups, plates, bowls, food boxes and – of course – lids, and also features GoodLife, our leading brand of biodegradable and compostable disposables.”

GoodLife disposables are made from bagasse – the pulpy raw material left over once sugar cane has been processed.

Bagasse is a natural and, crucially, a sustainable material, and CapIt-All says that it is proud have pioneered the use of bagasse disposables in the UK.

These moulded fibre disposables are 100% biodegradable and compostable, say the company, meaning that they can be disposed of conveniently and at little or no cost to the caterer in nothing more sophisticated than a compost heap. Or, if caterers do not have their own composting facilities, GoodLife products can be disposed of together with general food waste.

“To maintain the environmental benefits of GoodLife compostable disposables it is crucial that they are disposed of in the correct way,” Geoff Page continues. “It is not enough for food-to-go operators simply to be seen to be green - they must close the loop by ensuring that their disposables are returned to nature.

“Caterers who do not have their own composting facilities will need to make arrangements to have their food and food packaging waste collected and disposed of in the correct way.

Cap-It-All is fostering relationships with a number of eco packaging collectors up and down the country and we would be happy to put customers in touch with the nearest collector to them."

Cap-It-All have also recently announced the launch of its unique GoodLife soup bowl which boasts a vented, leakproof lid to minimalise the risk of spillages and can be even be used for takeaways, and their GoodLife LapTop food boxes are another excellent product for food-to-go operators.

GoodLife LapTop food boxes feature an innovative ‘click-shut’ closure, which means that caterers and foodservice operators can rest easy in the knowledge that all food – even piping hot food that has been cooked in boiling oil – can be served and eaten safely and easily. The LapTop range boasts 12 different sizes and styles, including burger boxes, compartmentalised dinner trays, an extra-long fish and chip box and a snack box. Café and foodto-go operators might also be interested in the company’s wide range of plates that are available as part of the GoodLife range.

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Versatile Huhtamaki’s vibrant,‘mmm…’ premium quality paper food to go range offers a contemporary serving solution that guarantees to brighten up takeaway offerings and make them even more appealing to customers. They have been designed to allow operators to modernise their presentation and offer their customers a premium takeaway experience for a variety of foods – whether sweet or savoury, hot or cold.

Operators can serve delicious freshly prepared soups and other warming food options such as pasta and risotto in them, and can even use them to serve snacks and side orders such

Sizes range from 7.5cm (the proper name for this is a dipping bowl but it is in fact a plate) to 26cm, and the range comprises both traditional round plates and rectangular plates.

“To help our customers promote their green credentials, and our own, we have designed a point of sale poster - featuring our very own Eco the Friendly Frog character - for our customers to display in their outlets. Our posters, which are supplied free of charge on request, act as a beacon for environmentally friendly shoppers and let them know they can do their bit for the environment simply by deciding which outlet to buy their lunch from,” adds Geoff Page.

Solo Cup Europe report that they have become one of the 44

pizzapasta AND ITALIAN FOOD

as olives, coleslaw and potato salad, and for those who serve customers partial to something sweet, the containers are the ideal choice for Italian gelato and desserts, such as Tiramisu, suggest Huhtamaki.

Manufactured from paper, these stylish stackable containers offer good heat retention – perfect for those enjoying hot food on-the-go.

For takeaways, the containers can be fitted with tight-fitting paper or plastic lids and for improved convenience to caterers, both the containers and lids are supplied in the same, user-friendly combipack – ideal for establishments with minimal kitchen/storage space.

first companies in their industry sector to achieve the certification to ISO 50001 standard for energy management.

Following external audit, this certification confirms that Solo Cup Europe has the right processes and data management in place to make sound decisions about energy utilisation, the ISO 50001 standard having been designed to help organisations save money as well as help them to conserve resources and tackle climate change – all of which are key pillars of their sustainability strategies, say Solo.

“Like other management standards such as ISO 9001 or 14001 this standard is based on a model of continual improvement and ensures that energy management is integrated into our overall programmes to reduce environmental impact and conserve resources,” says Solo Cup Europe’s managing director, Tony Waters.

“We have received regular recognition for our efforts to put sustainability at the heart of our operation and this is another great achievement for our team.

It proves that we are really serious about sustainability.”

The ISO 50001 framework requires organisations to develop a policy for more efficient use for energy, fix targets and objectives to meet the policy, use data to better understand and make decisions about energy use, measure the

results, review the policy and continually improve energy management.

New ranges The convenience market is now worth in the region of €145 billion and continues to grow, observe the multi-material packaging group, Linpac Packaging, who add that they are set to take advantage of the growing popularity and demand for chilled retail prepared and convenience foods by launching a complete new range of products for the sector.

Retail convenience foods are the chilled and deli foods to be found in stores and that are designed to be eaten on the go, or after minimal preparation.

Traditionally found in takeaway stores, cafés, sandwich shops and casual foodservice outlets, the market is now also rapidly expanding within supermarkets too.

The launch of Linpac’s Freshware range – which will comprise packaging for prepared fruit and salads, dips, sandwich fillers, fresh pasta, pizza, prepared vegetables, chilled bakery, cooked meats and prepared fish - will be the first to come out of its new Freshform division, say the company, marking entry into a new market and complementing their existing operations within the meat, fish and poultry, bakery, fresh produce and foodservice sectors.

Saga one-up express cooking paper.

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packaging “The chilled retail convenience market has continued to grow at a steady rate throughout the recession when many other markets have stalled,” says Joanna Stephenson, vice president innovation and marketing at Linpac Packaging.

“For this reason, the sector is highly competitive but we feel we have a well-established, trusted brand which will assist us in gaining a foothold in this market and for it to become one of our largest categories.”

Linpac add that they already have relationships with many key players in this market due to the close alignment with their existing sectors, particularly foodservice, and so they will be working closely with their customers to develop opportunities and ensure that they continue to deliver service and solutions which are in demand.

“The chilled retail convenience market has blossomed in the last few years, supported by a string of changing consumer trends.

People are leading busier lives and want to be able to eat well and enjoy new things without it impacting on their ‘me-time’ despite the recession. Eating patterns have changed and people are looking for affordable luxuries. It is not surprising that

this market has grown significantly over a relatively short period of time – it meets and responds to the needs of consumers during a key time of change, not just economically, but in terms of lifestyles too,” explains Joanna Stephenson.

Linpac plan a series of product launches during the coming year, including interlocking containers in various sizes which allow consumers to pick and mix different food items to create their perfect meal, and a solution that will be ideal for combining salads, pastas, cooked meats or fish, toppings and sauces. The style is also suitable for creating a complete starter, main and dessert combination, suggest the company.

Sealant technology developed for the company’s latest innovation, Rfresh® Elite - a tray for fresh meat and poultry – for example, will also be incorporated into some new Freshware products. This patented packaging solution is super lightweight and uses unique sealant technology on the tray flange to create a secure seal with the lidding film, thus removing the industry standard laminated PE base film. The trays are also 100% recyclable at the end of their service life, say Linpac (www.linpacpackaging.com).

Responding to the continued growth of UK’s food-to-go market, Saga, a brand from Metsä Tissue, has entered the UK foodservice market with the launch of its new cooking paper - Saga One-Up Express designed to save the caterer time and money.

Now available to the UK foodservice market from Terinex Limited (www.terinex.co.uk) with plans to introduce more products from the range later this year, the paper is ideal for the food-to-go market say the company, with one sheet of Saga One-Up Express cooking paper able to be used throughout the food preparation process from preparation, storage, cooking and heating through to customer presentation.

Perfect for paninis and other warm snacks using contact grills, microwave ovens and rapid cooking systems, Saga One-Up Express also protects the equipment from direct contact with food while still allowing grill strips to remain visible on the product and minimising food odours, and can be used at temperatures up to 220°C. The innovative food packaging solutions provider,

Colpac (www.colpac.co.uk), has recently launched Clasp® - an all-in-one film to board pack that is much easier to use than any other similar packs on the market and suitable for hot and cold food, say its creators.

The Colpac Clasp® products are superior due to the quality of the materials used, claim the company, and the ready folded film and adjustable locking mechanism which improves the speed and ease of handling (various sealing options are available for added flexibility).

This new range of packaging with board and film integrated together is therefore ideal for food such as tortillas, pies, baguettes, paninis, cakes, sausage rolls and much more, being versatile to be used for both hot and cold products.

The Clasp® range comprises six products - single and double tortilla packs, bloomer sleeve, baguette sleeve, baguette tray and bag in a box - and the packs also offer improved food presentation with strong branding possibilities and can be produced with custom-print.

In line with Colpac’s green credentials, both the board and film are recyclable, whilst the board is biodegradable too, point out the firm.

Latest concepts Solo Cup Europe customers got a chance to see some of the emerging food to go concepts in London recently via a private study tour organised in conjunction with Allegra Strategies.

Not only was this a good opportunity to see, and sample, some of the latest types of food businesses to have been launched in the capital, it also provided a chance to see a number of packaging solutions ‘in action’ in-store, as well as network with colleagues from the industry.

Concepts visited included the award-winning Spianata

& Co, Chop’d, pod and EAT, as well as Caravan at King’s Cross, itself an area that has now become a destination food stop outlet in its own right after the completion of its make-over, with the food concept of ‘the moment’ – street food – clearly in evidence in a specially designated street food area nearby.

There was also a visit to the Duck and Waffle at the top of the Heron Building on Liverpool Street in the City of London, a glamorous, a 24hour food-serving venue with strong appeal to the business customer.

Chop’d

Spianata & Co

Street food

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pizza my world

A Pizza My World In February this year, Steve Loughton became MD of Jestic Foodservice Equipment, a leading supplier of specialised equipment to both the pizza trade and wider foodservice arena – including Wood Stone wood fired ovens, Middleby Marshall conveyor ovens, Somerset dough processors and Bakers Pride ovens. He has spent his working life in the foodservice equipment business and has travelled extensively in Europe and North America as well as once having two offices simultaneously – one in Basildon, Essex and one in Johannesburg, South Africa. A Londoner by birth but Surrey-ite by adoption when his parents moved there in the late 1960s, he has always worked for major UK equipment suppliers and claims the distinction of working for the company that imported and sold the deck style ovens to Pizza Hut for its very first UK stores in 1973. reputation. Fortunately, the Jestic Foodservice Equipment team takes all this in its stride. Next, I generally answer emails that come in overnight from US suppliers because if I can respond to them before our lunchtime they will have my reply in their inbox before they get to work.

6.30am

6.30am I get up at 6.30 am and the first destination is the kettle for a mug of tea as I can’t face food first thing in the morning. After showering and picking up my fruit for the day (bananas, apple and orange), I leave the house at about 7.10 am with my 25-year-old son who works in the West End of London. He takes the train and, if I’m in the office, I take the M25 round to the office in Paddock Wood, Kent. It’s a 65-mile journey and takes about 75 minutes as long as there are no accidents on the motorway. I will always have Radio 4 on in the background so I can stay in tune with breaking news and business updates. This is great thinking time and a useful way to catch up on voice mail messages that I might have been too busy to answer from the previous day. It also means that I am ready for a bowl of porridge and another tea when I arrive at the office and for a chat with colleagues who arrive early like me.

12.00pm

2.00pm

9.00am

9.00am The Jestic Foodservice Equipment HQ, which is only a 15-minute drive from the M26, includes our offices, warehouse and development kitchen. If there’s a demo going on in the kitchen that day I will check in with Michael Eyre our product director because he will already be there, heating the equipment before the customers arrive. It could be a Wood Stone oven pizza demonstration or pasta cooked in the Desco equipment. We always talk about forthcoming demonstrations or projects he might be working on because wherever Michael goes, great food follows. I can’t cook, but I love to watch chefs at work, particularly if there’s wood fired pizza on the menu…

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✁

Noon Back to the kitchen to meet Michael’s customers and get a feeling for whatever new concept they might be testing and how we can help them find a profitable solution.

This is endlessly fascinating and I’m never disappointed by the enthusiasm and professionalism they show. I will always join them for food (even if it’s not lunchtime) as this is the traditional way to share hospitality and experiences. It also gives me an unbeatable insight into what’s hot in the market.

10.00am

10.00 am I spend the morning replying to emails, talking with colleagues and generally making sure I can help iron out any roadblocks that might have appeared to get in the way of us supplying excellent customer service. We have a fantastic and very focused team here but I like nothing more than to engage with people directly at their desks and listen to what is important to them. Because we deal with the very largest global QSR chains as well as family owned restaurants we need to be extremely flexible in our approach to maintain our

2.00 pm I will always spend some time with Ben Dale, our commercial director and Steve Morris, our sales director if they are in the office. We may talk about pending orders or chain rollouts or the effects that currency exchange rates and the price of fuel can have on our business. We are constantly reviewing our equipment catalogue to ensure it’s up to date and that we can stay ahead of the game in terms of innovation.

Invariably there are more emails and telephone calls to return, and if we have questions for any US based supplier I make sure they get an email from me early in the afternoon so they can give us a reply by the time we get to the office the next day.

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pizza my world 4.00pm

4.00pm I use the last office hour to reflect on what’s happened during the day, make sure I have cleared everything that I promised to do and prepare any paperwork I might need for the next day. We could have a management meeting or a visit from a supplier, and I prefer to make sure my desk is clear and ready for the next day before I leave. Because I’ve only just joined the company there is always something to learn and this is a good time to try and take something new on board.

5.00pm

5.00pm Back to the motorway – at the time of writing it’s school half term so traffic seems lighter – for the journey home. I tend to take a few phone calls from colleagues and business acquaintances and this is a good way to stay in touch around the country. I will be in by 6.30, giving me time to walk our two Yorkshire Terriers before dinner.

We have a 45-minute walk in the

woods and, come rain or shine, I appreciate the quiet of the countryside all over again.

7.30pm

7.30pm Dinner is family time unless I’m travelling away from home. My wife is an excellent cook and we have always insisted with the children that meal times are sacrosanct. We don’t allow mobiles, newspapers or opening letters. It’s a time for us all to catch up on each other’s happenings and share our stories from the day. We may spend the rest of the evening watching television - or doing some gardening in the lighter evenings - and relaxing. I check the mobile in case of urgent emails before switching it off for the night.

10.30pm

10.30pm I try to turn in by 10.30 and read a little before lights out. I was recently given a Kindle reader which makes it easy to buy books and has encouraged me to return to reading fiction. Another successful day completed…

SUBSCRIPTION ORDER FORM Please provide the following information: Name of applicant: .....................................................................

Position: .......................................................................................

✁

Business/Company Name: .........................................................

Type of business (please tick as appropriate) Pizza Restaurant

Caterer

Supplier

Pasta Restaurant

Pizza Delivery/ Take-away

Manufacturer

Italian Restaurant

Agency/PR

Retail Buyer

Other (please state)

Would you like to receive information on full membership of the Pizza,

Address: .......................................................................................

Pasta & Italian Food Association? YES/NO

... ..................................................................................................

I enclose a cheque for £55 (£95 outside the UK). Cheques should be payable to PAPA and returned to: Pizza Pasta and Italian Food Association, Association House, 18c Moor Street, Chepstow NP16 5DB or contact Tony Lorimer on 01291 636333 or email on tony@papa.org.uk Alternatively, if you wish to pay by credit card, please enter your details below.

..................................................................................................... ......................................................Post Code:..............................

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Subscribe on line at www.papa.org.uk

P&PApril13_p48-52_Layout 1 09/04/2013 13:58 Page 48

index registered suppliers Benier UK 56 Alston Drive, Bradwell, Abbey, Milton Keynes MK13 9HB Contact: David Marsh Tel: 01908 312333 / Fax: 01908 311481 www.benier.co.uk sales@benier.co.uk The following businesses are members of The Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association (PAPA) and subject to its rules and guidelines. While the Association cannot guarantee the products and services supplied by those listed, it does believe that those listed are reputable and is confident in recommending them.

The Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association, Association House, 18c Moor Street, Chepstow NP16 5DB Telephone: 01291 636335 or email kevin@jandmgroup.co.uk

REGISTERED SUPPLIERS 999 Pizza Toppings (UK) Ltd. Unit 6, Teakcroft, Fairview Industrial Park, Marsh Way, Rainham, Essex RM13 8UH Contact: Homayoun Aminnia Tel: 01708 558885 Fax: 01708 555022 sales@999pizzatoppings.com AB World Foods Ltd. 18 Aubrey Road, Harborne, Birmingham B32 2BB Contact: Craig Miles Tel: 07713 313601 craig.miles@abworldfoods.com www.abworldfoods.com Allied Mills Ltd. Sunblest Flour Mill, Port of Tilbury, Tilbury, Essex RM18 7JR Contact: Chris Brown Tel: 01375 363100 Fax: 01375 363199 chris.brown@allied-mills.co.uk www.allied-mills-semolina.co.uk Bakkavor Pizza Forward Drive, Christchurch Avenue, Harrow, Middlesex, HA3 8NT Contact: Soum Ghosal Tel: 0208 4242666 / Fax: 0208 4200606 soum.ghosal@bakkavor.co.uk www.bakkavor.co.uk

Bel UK Ltd Suite 1, 2nd Floor, 160 London Road, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1BT Contact: Camilla Deane Tel: 0333 900 2020 Fax: 01732 467596 cdeane@groupe-bel.com www.bel-uk.co.uk

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C.Carnevale Ltd Carnevale House, Blundell St, London N7 9BN Contact: Mr C Carnevale Tel: 0207 607 8777 / Fax: 0207 607 8774 Cater-Bake UK South Boundary Road, Knowsley Industrial Park, Merseyside, Liverpool, L33 7RR Contact: Mark Hutchings Tel: 0151 548 5818 / Fax: 0151 548 5835 www.cater-bake.co.uk sales@cater-bake.co.uk Continental Quattro Stagioni 8 - 33 Royal Elizabeth Yard, Kirkliston, West Lothian EH29 9EN Contact: Mr Paolo Veneroni Tel: 0131 3191919 Fax: 0131 3315566 p.veneroni@continental-wine.co.uk www.continental-food.co.uk

Cooktek c/o MCS Technical Products Ltd MCS Technical Products, Building 2, Westmead Industrial Estate, Westmead Drive, Swindon, Wiltshire SN5 7YT Contact: Steve Snow Tel: 01793 538308 / Fax: 01793 522324 sales@mcstechproducts.co.uk www.mcstechproducts.co.uk

Dawn Farm Foods Ltd. Lodge Way, Lodge Farm Industrial Estate, Northampton NN5 7US Contact: Ian Ritchie Tel: 01604 583421 / Fax: 01604 587392 iritchie@dawnfarmfoods.co.uk DeCecco UK Ltd 1 Kimbell Mews, Humfrey Lane Boughton, Northampton, NN2 8XB Contact: Stephen Barlow Tel: 01604 820022 / Fax: 01604 820033 sales@dececco.org.uk www.dececco.com Dingley Dell Enterprises Ltd. PO Box 3534, Kidderminster, Worcestershire WR9 0LQ Contact: Jay Emery Tel: 01905 621636 / Fax: 01905 630311 www.dingley-dell.com dingleydellenterprises@hotmail.co.uk

BY APPOINTMENT TO HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN FINE FOOD INGREDIENT IMPORTERS AND DISTRIBUTORS DONATANTONIO LIMITED BOREHAMWOOD

Donatantonio Ltd. Lupa House, York Way, Borehamwood, Herts WD6 1PX Contact: Simon Bell Tel: 0208 2362222 / Fax: 0208 2362288 www.donatantonio.com sbell@donatantonio.com Doughball Pizza Ltd. 353 Manchester Road, Haslingden, Rossendale, Lancashire BB4 6PT Contact: Giovanni Pillitteri Tel: 01706 831159 doughballpizza@hotmail.co.uk

Eurilait Ltd Leighton Lane Industrial Estate, Leighton Lane, Evercreech BA4 6LQ Contact: Paul Bates Tel: 01749 838100 Fax: 01749 831247 paulbates@eurilait co.uk www.eurilait.co.uk First Milk – Foodservice Cirrus House, Glasgow Airport Business Park, Marchburn Drive, Paisley PA3 2SJ Contact: Gwyn Jones Tel: 01383 610114 gwynjones@firstmilk.co.uk www.firstmilk.co.uk Freiberger UK Ltd Broadgate House, Westlode Street, Spalding, Lincolnshire PE11 2AF Contact: Richard Harrow Tel: 01775 767655 01775 767656 richard.harrow@freibergerukltd.co.uk General Mills UK Ltd. Harman House, 1 George Street, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 1QQ Contact: Liam Ward Tel: 01895 201246 / Fax: 01895 201101 liam.ward@genmills.com www.generalmills.co.uk Giovanni Rana (UK) Ltd 6 Valentine Place, London SE1 8QH Contact: Stephen Hull Tel: 0207 921 9550 shull@giovannirana.co.uk Glanbia Cheese Ltd 4 Royal Mews, Gadbrook Park, Rudheath, Northwich, Cheshire CW9 7UD Contact: David Cruddos Tel: 01606 810900 Fax: 01606 48680 Heineken UK Ltd 2-4 Broadway Park, Gyle, Edinburgh EH12 9JZ Contact: James Woodman Tel: 07884 113534 james.woodman@heineken.co.uk

Integer 167 Heywood Road, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 1LB Contact: Geoff Whittle Tel: 0161 7987307 Fax: 0161 7733151 geoff@integeruk.com www.integeruk.com Jestic Units 3+4, Dana Industrial Estate, Transfesa Road, Paddock Wood, Kent TN12 6UU Tel: 0845 5048050 Fax: 0845 5048051 Email: info@jestic.net www.jestic.co.uk Just-Eat.co.uk Ltd. Imperial Place (IP4), Maxwell Road, Borehamwood WD6 1JN Contact: Lucy Milne Tel: 0208 7362001 Email: Lucy.Milne@just-eat.co.uk www.just-eat.co.uk Kiren Foods Unit 3 Small Bridge Industrial Park Riverside Drive, Rochdale Lancashire OL16 2SH Contact: Mr Nazir Mackmood Tel:01706 526732 Fax: 01706 869749 nazir@kirenfoods.com La Tua Pasta Ltd. 52 Gorst Road, London NW10 6LD Contact: Francesco Boggian Tel: 0208 961 8022 Fax: 0208 965 6006 info@latuapasta.com www.latuapasta.com Leathams PLC 227-255, Ilderton Road, London, SE15 1NS Contact: Mr James Faulkner Tel 0207 6354026 / Fax 0207 6354017 ingredients.sales@leathams.co.uk www.leathams.com Maranaforni Di Marana F. Via Turbina 98, Verona, 37139 Italy Contact: Eleni Olivieri Tel: 0039 0456704503 Fax: 0039 0457156118 elena.commerciale@maranaforni.it

Martin Mathew & Co 140 High Street, Cheshunt Herts EN8 0AW Contact: Mr M.J. Donnelly Tel: 01992 641641 Fax: 01992 641333 matthewdonnelly@martinmathew.co.uk www.martinmathew.co.uk

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classifieds PD Catering International Unit 2, Nile Street, Bolton BL3 6BW Tel: 01204 382800 Contact: Hamid Naraghi info@pizzadirect.com Meadow Cheese Co. Limited Hazel Park, Dymock Road, Ledbury, Herefordshire HR8 2JQ Contact: Robert Kennedy Tel: 01531 631300 / Fax: 01531 631300 robert.kennedy@meadowcheese.co.uk www.meadowcheese.co.uk Montana Bakery Limited Blackthorne Road, Poyle Industrial Estate, Colnbrook, Berkshire SL3 0AP Contact: Jonathan Mellows Tel: 01753 760 800 / Fax: 01753 760 801 jonathan@montana.bakeries.co.uk Pasta King (UK) Ltd Plantation House, Milber Trading Estate, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 4SG Contact: Lesley Treeby Tel: 0800 458 7898 / Fax: 01626 334481 www.pastaking.co.uk lt@pastaking.co.uk Pasta Reale Ltd Pasta Reale House, Fleming Way, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 9JW Contact: Donald Boyne Tel: 01293 649700 / Fax: 01293 649741 don.boyne@pastareale.com www.pastareale.com

Pizza Plus Foodservice Light Industrial Estate, Liverpool Road, Walmer Bridge, Preston PR4 5HY Tel: 01772 610415 Fax: 01772 617610 Contact: Chris Smith chris@pizzaplusfs.co.uk Pizza Trading Co Ltd Unit 14 Somerville Court, Banbury Business Park, Adderbury, Banbury, Oxfordshire OX17 3SN Contact: John Mullen Tel: 01257 423376 Fax: 01257 472086 john@pizzatrading.co.uk Saputo Cheese (UK) Ltd The Creamery, Aberarad Newcastle Emlyn, Carmarthenshire, SA38 9QD Tel: 01239 710424 Fax: 01239 711843 www.saputo.com ServEquip Assistance Ltd Suite 8 The Swift Centre, 41 Imperial Way, Croydon CR0 4RL Contact: Diane Bowker Tel: 0208 6868855 / Fax: 0208 6817509 info@servequip.co.uk www.servequip.co.uk

Sorrento Express Ltd. Unit 10 Southall Business Park, 142 Johnson Street, Southall, Middlesex UB2 5FD Contact: Alfonso Amitrano Tel: 0208 843 4990 sales@sorrentoexpress.com www.sorrentoexpress.com

The Fresh Pasta Company Shepherds Building, Rockley Road, London W14 0DA Contact: Sole Nasi Tel: 0845 603 7746 pasta@thefreshpastacompany.com www.thefreshpastacompany.com

Stateside Foods Ltd 31 – 34 Great Bank Road, Wingate Industrial Park, Westhoughton, Bolton BL5 3XU Contact: Ian Kent Tel: 01942 841200 Fax: 01942 841201 sales@stateside-foods.co.uk www.stateside-foods.co.uk Technomic Inc Knowledge Center, 300 S Riverside Plaza Suite 1200, Chicago, Illinois, IL60606 USA Contact: Patrick Noone pnoone@technomic.com Tel: (01) 205 991 1234 Fax: (01) 205 980 3770 www.technomic.com The Fresh Olive Company 74 Long Drive, Greenford, Middlesex UB6 8LZ Contact: Ali Kirk Tel: 0208 838 9629 Fax: 0208 813 2986 ali@fresholive.com www.fresholive.com

Ticco Ltd Unit B2Y, Skyway 14, Calder Way, Colnbrook, Slough SL3 0BQ Contact: Emma Hallam Tel: 07779 167474 Fax: 01753 689813 emmahallam@ticco.co.uk W&H Marriage & Sons Ltd. Chelmer Mills, New Street, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 1PN Contact: Hannah Marriage Tel: 01245 354455 / Fax: 01245 261492 hmarriage@marriagemillers.co.uk www.marriagesmillers.co.uk

Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Limited Cottingham Way, Thrapston Northamptonshire, Kettering NN14 3EP Contact: Sophie Whitaker Tel: 01832 737210 / Fax: 01832 734433 sales@whitcoltd.com Whitworth Bros Limited Victoria Mills, Wellingborough Northants NN8 2DT Contact: Alan Ribakovs Tel: 01933 441000 Fax: 01933 222523 enquiries@whitworthbros.ltd.uk

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index of products Online Ordering Solutions Integer Computers Just-Eat.co.uk Ltd.

BEVERAGES Beer Carnevale Ltd. Heineken UK

DELIVERY & PACKAGING

Coffee Carnevale Ltd.

Heated Pizza Delivery Bag Systems Cooktek (MCS Technical Products)

Mineral Water Carnevale Ltd. Soft Drinks

DOUGH & PIZZA EQUIPMENT

Carnevale Ltd. Wine, Spirits & Liqueurs

Glanbia Cheese Ltd.

Dough Preparation Equipment Cater-Bake (UK) PD Catering Internatonal Pizza Accessories Pizza Plus Foodservice Pizza Making Systems & Equipment Benier (UK) Ltd. Cater-Bake (UK) Cooktek (MCS Technical Products) Jestic Maranaforni Di Marana F. Pizza Direct UK ServEquip Limited Pizza Ovens Benier (UK) Ltd. Dingley Dell Enterprises Ltd. Cater-Bake (UK) Jestic Maranaforni Di Marana F. PD Catering Internatonal Pizza Plus Foodservice ServEquip Limited

Leathams PLC

FISH & SEAFOOD

Meadow Cheese Co. Ltd. Saputo Cheese (UK) Ltd.

Other Fish & Seafood Leathams PLC

Sorrento Express Ltd.

FLOUR & BAKERY

Stateside Foods Ltd.

Concentrates Allied Mills Durum Semolina Allied Mills Carnevale Ltd. DeCecco UK Ltd. Flour Allied Mills Carnevale Ltd. DeCecco UK Ltd. W&H Marriage & Sons Sorrento Express Ltd. The Fresh Pasta Company Ltd. W&H Marriage & Sons Whitworth Bros. Limited Icings Allied Mills Improvers Allied Mills

Carnevale Ltd. Sorrento Express Ltd.

BREAD, CAKES & DESSERTS Bread Rolls & Wraps Ticco Ltd. Cakes & Confectionery Ticco Ltd. Desserts Ticco Ltd. Ice Cream General Mills UK Ltd.

CHEESE, DAIRY & EGGS Cheese 999 Pizza Toppings (UK) Ltd. Bel UK Ltd. Carnevale Ltd. Donatantonio Ltd. Eurilait Ltd. First Milk - Foodservice

Eggs Leathams PLC Mozzarella Carnevale Ltd. Eurilait Ltd. Glanbia Cheese Ltd. Saputo Cheese (UK) Ltd. Parmesan Eurilait Ltd. Sour Cream First Milk - Foodservice

COMPUTING SOLUTIONS Computer Delivery Management Systems Integer Computers Computers/Software Integer Computers 50

pizzapasta AND ITALIAN FOOD

Premixes (Bread & Cakes) Allied Mills

FOOD WHOLESALERS Continental Quattro Stagioni Ltd. Leathams PLC Stateside Foods Ltd. Ticco Ltd.

FRUIT & VEGETABLES Chargrilled Vegetables Carnevale Ltd. The Fresh Olive Company Olives Donatantonio Ltd. Leathams PLC The Fresh Olive Company

KITCHEN & SERVING EQUIPMENT Bakery Ovens Cater-Bake (UK) Drinks Systems Carnevale Ltd. Food Safety & Hygiene Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd Fryers Jestic Griddles Jestic Holding Ovens Jestic ServEquip Limited Refrigeration General Mills UK Ltd. Servicing & Spares Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Ltd. Serving Pasta King (UK) Ltd.

Pancetta Carnevale Ltd. Pepperoni Carnevale Ltd. Dawn Farm Foods Salami Carnevale Ltd.

OILS & VINEGARS Olive Oil Donatantonio Ltd. Leathams PLC

PASTA, POLENTA, GNOCCHI & RICE Gnocchi The Fresh Pasta Company Ltd Pasta (Dry) Carnevale Ltd. DeCecco UK Ltd. Donatantonio Ltd. Leathams PLC La Tua Pasta Ltd. Pasta (Fresh) Giovanni Rana (UK) Ltd. La Tua Pasta Ltd. Pasta Reale The Fresh Pasta Company Ltd Ticco Ltd.

PIZZA DOUGH, BASES & CRUSTS Dough Balls Doughball Pizza Ltd. Kiren Foods Montana Bakery Pizza Plus Foodservice Stateside Foods Ltd. Pizza Bases & Crusts Doughball Pizza Ltd. Kiren Foods

Montana Bakery Pizza Plus Foodservice Stateside Foods Ltd.

PIZZA TOPPINGS Fish Carnevale Ltd. Fruit & Vegetables Carnevale Ltd. Meat 999 Pizza Toppings (UK) Ltd. Carnevale Ltd. Dawn Farm Foods Pizza Plus Foodservice Stateside Foods Ltd. Pizza Sauces Donatantonio Ltd. Pizza Plus Foodservice Pizza Trading Company Ltd. Stateside Foods Ltd.

READY PREPARED Prepared Pasta Meals Bakkavor Pizza Freiberger UK Ltd. Giovanni Rana (UK) Ltd. Pasta King (UK) Ltd. Pasta Reale Prepared Pizza (Chilled) Bakkavor Pizza Stateside Foods Ltd. Prepared Pizza (Frozen) Freiberger UK Ltd. Pizza Plus Foodservice Stateside Foods Ltd. Ticco Ltd.

SOUPS, SAUCES, STOCKS & DRESSINGS

Garlic Spreads & Mixes Stateside Foods Ltd. Mayonnaise & Other Dressings AB World Foods Pasta Sauces DeCecco UK Ltd. Leathams PLC Pasta King (UK) Ltd. The Fresh Pasta Company Ltd Pizza Sauces Leathams PLC Pizza Trading Company Ltd.

SPECIALIST FOOD CONSULTANCY & MARKET RESEARCH Specialist Food Consultancy Technomic Inc Market Reasearch Technomic Inc

TOMATOES Canned Tomatoes DeCecco UK Ltd. Donatantonio Ltd. Martin Mathew & Co. Ltd. Passata DeCecco UK Ltd. Donatantonio Ltd. Martin Mathew & Co. Ltd. SunBlush© Tomatoes Leathams PLC Sun-Dried Tomatoes Carnevale Ltd. Donatantonio Ltd. Leathams PLC

Chutneys, Relishes & Sauces AB World Foods

MEAT Bacon Dawn Farm Foods Leathams PLC Beef Leathams PLC Chicken & Other Poultry Leathams PLC Ham Carnevale Ltd. Dawn Farm Foods Leathams PLC Stateside Foods Ltd. Ticco Ltd. Italian Meat & Sausages Dawn Farm Foods Donatantonio Ltd. Ticco Ltd.

The Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association is the trade body representing the UK pizza, pasta and Italian Food Association. The Association is given direction by a Management Committee comprising: Russell Allen Basilico*

John Prior Papa John’s*

Alan Ribakovs Whitworth Bros Ltd

Maurice Abboudi Consultant/ Domino’s*

Phil Welberry Perfect Pizza

Mark Edmonds Whitworth Bros Ltd

Stephen Hull Giovanni Rana

James Woodman Heineken

Ian Kent Stateside Foods*

(* Primary members of the committee – others generally attend as substitutes when primary members are unable to attend meetings)

David Cruddos Glanbia Cheese* Camilla Deane Bel UK

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